Crystal Palace have decided against dismissing manager Oliver Glasner, despite his public criticism of the club’s board over the sale of captain Marc Guéhi to Manchester City. The decision follows talks between sporting director Matt Hobbs and the Austrian on Sunday morning, with chairman Steve Parish now hoping Glasner will see out his contract until the end of the season.
Glasner’s frustration came to a head after the 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, a match played 24 hours after Guéhi completed a £20m move to City. The manager accused the board of abandoning him and his squad, saying: “Your heart gets torn out twice in a season, one day before a game. We feel that we’re being abandoned. There’s no support.” He also referenced Eberechi Eze’s club-record sale to Arsenal in August.
The Austrian, who led Palace to FA Cup glory eight months ago, announced before the Sunderland game that he would leave when his contract expires in the summer. That statement is understood to have caught Parish by surprise. However, after further reflection, Palace have decided to retain Glasner, with the club expecting him to reverse a run of ten games without a win in all competitions.
Palace believe they acted in the club’s best interests by accepting the offer for Guéhi, who was out of contract at the end of the season. Glasner had previously threatened to resign on the final day of the summer transfer window when it appeared the defender might move to Liverpool without a replacement being secured. Despite his discontent, Glasner has been involved in this month’s transfer plans, including the signing of Brennan Johnson from Tottenham.
In his latest remarks, Glasner said: “I don’t need any support. Crystal Palace needs it. Crystal Palace are fine to end the season like this – with Oliver Glasner, with another manager, I don’t know, I don’t care.” Meanwhile, Juventus are expected to return with a new offer for Jean-Philippe Mateta, although they prefer a loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent. Palace remain in talks with Angers over 19-year-old forward Sidiki Cherif, but a proposed inclusion of Jonathan David in the deal was rejected by Juventus.
