AfriPulse
Crystal Palace have reached a tense compromise, opting not to dismiss Oliver Glasner even after he accused the club’s management of deserting him and his team.
Chairman Steve Parish reportedly felt both frustrated and surprised by Glasner’s heated remarks following their 2-1 loss to Sunderland. During his tirade, Glasner revealed he only learned of captain Marc Guehi’s sale to Manchester City on Friday morning at 10:30, expressing indifference about whether he would remain in his position for the rest of the season.
As Guehi boarded a private jet to Manchester on Sunday, ahead of his medical with City, Parish deliberated over whether dismissing Glasner was the right decision.
Part of Glasner’s frustration stemmed from the timing of Guehi’s sale, which occurred before their Sunderland match, not after. However, insiders at Palace argued the club couldn’t pass up the offer, especially since Guehi could have left without a fee come summer.
They also highlighted past instances of support, such as when a proposed £35 million deal with Liverpool was halted at the coach’s request. At the time, there were rumors Glasner had threatened to resign if his captain departed, although these claims were subsequently refuted.
Steve Parish’s Crystal Palace hierarchy have decided not to sack Oliver Glasner on the heels of his incendiary outburst on Saturday
The manager aimed his ire at recruitment and the most recent major departure – Marc Guehi
This time, if there was ever an example of a football manager appearing to seek the sack then look no further than Glasner’s post-Sunderland tirade.
‘It’s maybe the last try that things get done that have to get done. Not for Oliver Glasner, it’s for Crystal Palace,’ he said pointedly.
‘The best four players before we arrived – [Michael] Olise, [Eberechi] Eze and the two centre-backs, [Joachim] Andersen and [Marc] Guehi – they have gone now. It’s tough for every club.
‘And then to think, “okay, we sold last year and they got it done, had the best season, won the FA Cup, it’s all good. We can continue doing it like this”, you will get the bill.
‘Oliver Glasner won’t get the bill, Crystal Palace will get it. If you’re fine with it, continue.
‘We feel like we’re being abandoned completely. Selling our captain one day before a game – there is no understanding for this.
‘If your heart gets ripped out twice a year, with [Eberechi] Eze one day before a game in the summer and your captain one day before a game – I’ve just got no understanding.
‘I’ve been in football for 30 years and never experienced this, not once. Now it happens twice in six or seven months. That’s just where we are now.’
The German head coach’s comments came on the heels of a worrying defeat to Sunderland
Glasner will argue his divisive comments represent honesty but there is suspicion of his motives were to leave Parish with little alternative but to held views. In fairness, he hasn’t been shy in speaking critically of the Palace board publicly in the past.
But others closer to the club are suspicious of the genuine motives behind Glasner’s outburst amid a feeling it was designed to leave chairman Steve Parish with little option but to sack the Austrian.
Glasner has already confirmed he is leaving Selhurst Park at the end of the season when his contract expires and with around £2million left on his current deal to be paid it would perhaps have suited the coach to ride off into the sunset with a pay-off.
The flip side is that, despite a winless run of 10 games and an FA Cup exit to Macclesfield Town, Glasner continues to attract admiring glances from top level clubs.
Indeed, he is admired by some at Tottenham who are considering whether to sack manager Thomas Frank whose popularity is waning fast.
Glasner held talks with Tottenham ahead of the club’s eventual decision to appoint Ange Postecoglou in 2023.
With that in mind, Palace’s stance of today would mean them being owed compensation if Spurs look to appoint Glasner to any forthcoming vacancy.
But for now, as dysfunctional as this appears, it is business as usual at Selhurst Park.
Glasner will continue to be involved in recruitment decisions. There is an urgent need to replace Guehi while there is also the pressing issue of sourcing a ready-made striker should Juventus come up with the necessary funds to prise away Jean-Philippe Mateta.
‘Sometimes it would help if we had a little bit of support,’ Glasner said. The next two weeks will tell.
Source: NewsFinale | Read the Full Story…
