Oliver Glasner refused to discuss suggestions he will leave Crystal Palace before the summer
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner refused to confirm reports he would leave Selhurst Park before the end of the season – but did admit he is “not good enough” to solve the club’s current problems.
Glasner has already announced he won’t renew his existing deal that expires in the summer but reports this morning suggested his departure would be brought forward due to poor recent results.
The Austrian has overseen a miserable run of one win in 15 games in all competitions, including last night’s 1-1 draw at Zrinjski in the Conference League.
Palace had to sell captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City in the January window, the defender following Eberechi Eze out of the door following his switch to Arsenal last summer.
Star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta also wanted out last month but remained at the club after a move to AC Milan to broke down due to a knee injury that will keep him sidelined for several weeks.
“I’m always realistic, and we’re not in the best moment right now,” said Glasner ahead of Sunday’s game at home to rock-bottom Wolves. “And to be honest, I understand, and I take responsibility for everything because I’m responsible for the whole team.
“And right now, I’m just not good enough to replace the players we sold. I’m just not good enough to integrate the new players in a way to play the same way like we did, and I’m not good enough that we can cope with the schedule we had.”
‘I was good enough last season’
It has been a remarkable dip in fortunes for the Eagles, who won the FA Cup under Glasner last season.
He added: ”On the other side, I was good enough to play the best season ever, win two trophies and also to look back at 32 points after 26 games – I look back because I like to look back sometimes – Crystal Palace has been better twice. Once was our season last year, and once in 2021. Never before. It was more or less between 25 and 29 points all the time.
“It looks like even now when everybody is completely angry, disappointed, frustrated, we are playing a better Premier League season than eight of the last 10 seasons Crystal Palace has played. We play European football, and that is the reality.”
Asked if he feels he can lead the team until the end of the season, he said: “Let’s see. I always said [this] – and this wasn’t the first press conference where I could just repeat myself.
“As I said, eventually you always depend on your players, and they will get all the support like always, and then we will see.”
Although the results have been poor, Glasner insists the players’ effort levels have not dipped since last month, when he announced he would be leaving.
“No, never. That’s why I think I feel pretty open to talk about it now because the situation now it is never about Oliver Glasner,” he said. “Oliver Glasner’s life will continue in the summer wherever, however it is. Crystal Palace’s life will continue but every player, most of our players have a contract next year and they perform for themselves or perform for Crystal Palace.
“The Conference League is maybe the only opportunity to play European football again. This would be outstanding. When you do one thing once in 120 years and you can do it back-to-back, this would be an incredible achievement – not for Oliver Glasner – for the players.”
Crystal Palace are not safe yet – Glasner
Palace go into the weekend eight points above the bottom three and, according to Glasner, needing more to be sure of avoiding the drop.
He said: ”I don’t think Crystal Palace is pretty much safe when I see the teams behind us, when I see how they are performing, especially West Ham getting point after point and all the others as well.
“There are teams like Nottingham [Forest], who were seventh last year, teams like Tottenham who won the Europa League, teams like Brighton. Big teams with much more opportunities than Crystal Palace have.
“So I think it would be completely wrong to say we go all-in on the Conference League and forget about the Premier League. I think it’s an important game now against Wolverhampton.”
