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Oliver Glasner’s relationship with Crystal Palace’s hierarchy appears to be at breaking point after a blistering public condemnation of the club’s recent transfer decisions, delivered in the wake of another damaging defeat.
Palace’s 2-1 loss at Sunderland extended their winless run to 10 matches in all competitions and capped a chaotic period that has also included an FA Cup third-round exit to non-League Macclesfield, confirmation that Glasner will leave at the end of the season, and the imminent sale of captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City.
The Austrian coach chose not to make a single substitution at the Stadium of Light, later explaining that he felt powerless to help his side from the bench and compelled to defend an overstretched squad.
“The players did for 50-60 minutes play well and the game was quite even. Then in 15 to 20 minutes under pressure they took the lead (at 2-1) and we tried everything to get back into the game,” Glasner said.
“Couldn’t support them from the bench. That’s how it feels now, I think the players left their hearts on the pitch. Your heart gets torn out twice in a season, one day before a game with (Eberechi) Eze in the summer and Guehi now."
“It’s tough to say why, but that’s how it feels right now. We feel that we are being abandoned, no support, playing with 12/13 players for weeks now and the bench just kids.”
Guehi was left out of the squad as negotiations over his move to Manchester City neared completion, a development Glasner said blindsided him just a day before the match.
“We’re selling our captain one day before a game. First time I heard about it was 10.30 yesterday,” he said. “All they said was everything was prepared, we had to change everything. Nobody told us. You then have to stand in front of the group telling them the captain doesn’t play tomorrow.”
Glasner repeatedly stressed that his anger was rooted in concern for his players rather than his own future.
“We’ve never played in a stadium or an atmosphere like this, then I see the players and everyone is disappointed. That’s why I’m saying, it’s not to protect myself, I don’t care about me. But they need to be protected because they are leaving their heart,” he said.
“I made no substitutions because it would have been unfair. That’s why we are where we are, we have a few players, they played their fifth game now. We need support. This group of players needs support and that’s how it feels.”
Former players were left stunned by the ferocity of Glasner’s remarks. Former Premier League keeper Shay Given said: “I'll be surprised if he sees Monday morning, never mind the end of the season. ‘Abandoned’ is one of the strongest words you can use. I have never seen a manager interview like that before.”
While Alan Shearer warned: “For him to come out and say that and go against his bosses, there is only ever going to be one outcome.”
Palace sit 13th in the table, 11 points clear of the relegation zone, but with morale fragile and their manager openly at war with the board, the coming weeks threaten to define the club’s season.
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