Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner launched a furious and extraordinary public attack on the club's hierarchy following a damaging 2-1 defeat away to Sunderland, accusing the board of leaving his squad unsupported and 'abandoned'.
Glasner's Scathing Critique of Board Decisions
The Austrian's outburst came less than 24 hours after the club confirmed the sale of captain Marc Guéhi to Manchester City on Friday. Glasner revealed he was only informed of the deal at 10.30am that morning, forcing a last-minute tactical reshuffle. 'All the set pieces, everything was prepared for Guéhi playing,' he fumed. 'Then, we had to change everything. Nobody told us.'
Glasner, who last week announced he would leave Selhurst Park at the season's end, framed the Guéhi sale as part of a destructive pattern. He pointed to the earlier departures of key players Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, and Joachim Andersen, stating: 'Your heart gets torn out twice in a season, one day before a game. It's tough to survive.'
A Thin Squad Pushed to Its Limit
The manager's frustration was compounded by what he sees as a critically thin squad, a situation he believes led to the 10-game winless run across all competitions, including last week's FA Cup exit to non-league Macclesfield. His anger was palpable as he explained why he made no substitutions during the loss at the Stadium of Light.
'We've been playing with 12 to 13 players for weeks now,' Glasner said. 'On the bench I had just kids. They had never played in a stadium with an atmosphere like this... I made no substitution because it would have been unfair.' He insisted his public comments were a final attempt to protect his players and force change, warning that 'Crystal Palace, not Oliver Glasner will get the bill' if the situation continues.
Fighting On Amidst the Turmoil
Despite the turmoil, Glasner vowed to see out his contract for the sake of the players and supporters. 'The players and the fans deserve it 100%,' he stated. He remains confident relegation can be avoided, saying, 'I feel we will get these few more points we will need to not get relegated.'
However, his relationship with the board appears broken. When asked if he expected a reaction from the directors, his reply was blunt: 'I don't know. It's their club.' The defeat itself saw Yeremy Pino give Palace a first-half lead against the run of play, before goals from Enzo Le Fée and Brian Brobbey sealed a comeback victory for the home side, deepening the crisis in SE25.
