Crystal Palace make decision on Oliver Glasner's future

Palace followers made a long trip to eastern Europe hoping to see their team take a positive step towards the last-16 of continental competition. Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring at a stadium that has a capacity of just 9,000, with Glasner naming a strong starting XI that also included England international Adam Wharton and record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The Eagles were, however, pegged back by Karlo Abramovic 10 minutes into the second half and had to settle for a stalemate that means they have won just one of their last 15 games in all competitions.

Per Fabrizio Romano, Palace have decided to retain Glasner until the end of the season. Austrian tactician Glasner has revealed that he will be leaving south London when his contract expires in the summer. Some supporters may want to see him depart sooner than that, as they bellowed “sacked in the morning” at the dugout in Mostar, but Palace have now made a decision. 

Per Fabrizio Romano, despite a tense 24 hours at Selhurst Park, Glasner is set to remain in post. 

The FA Cup winner has been almost brutally honest throughout this season, and he said upon announcing his impending exit: "A decision has already been taken, months ago. I had a meeting with Steve [Parish, chairman] in October, the international break. We had a very long talk, and I told him I will not sign a new contract. 

"I told Steve [that] I’m looking for a new challenge. It’s my feeling after everything. I told him in October it’s nothing to do with the transfer window. I hate if something is written that is not true it’s tough for me to respond. We have a great relationship and always talking what’s best for Palace."

Glasner had taken aim at the Palace board after the January transfer window in which Marc Guehi, the club captain, was sold to Manchester City.

He said: "I feel we are being abandoned completely. I can't blame any player. They did everything they could and this has been going on for weeks and months now. We have 12, 13 players from the squad available and we feel no support. The worst thing is selling our captain one day before playing a Premier League game. We are preparing, it's the first (full) week we are training since September, and then we are selling our captain one day before a game. So I have no understanding of this. I have always kept my mouth (shut), but I can't because I have to defend these players, because it was the 35th game today. Yes we get under pressure here and we are unlucky. But again, you can't react, we can't help them, it makes it really tough."

He later insisted, though, that he was over it, adding: "I had a very long dinner with Steve [Parish] this week, and we talked about this situation - not to sell Marc - it's the timing and the possible replacement, and this was the situation I wanted to explain, and it was a very good talk for both of us. But nothing changed, what I told at the press conference before the Sunderland game, when I said I will give my best to play a great season, and Steve and me we are 100 per cent committed still, that we will do our best to have a great rest of the season, a great four months together. This is what we all want, and I know the club is now very hard-working to do the right things."

Glasner added: "This is everybody who is in a relationship, and this is how I feel it. It was a thunderstorm, but always after a thunderstorm the sun is shining, and it started to shine on Wednesday when we started to train again. Speaking always very honestly with my players, we had a very great week in training, great spirit, of course it lifted the mood."

Palace face Wolves this weekend in their next Premier League fixture. The Eagles sit 13th in the table, and are eight points clear of 18th-placed West Ham. A victory would do so much to lift the gloom at Selhurst Park. 

Palace can still progress through the Conference League knockout phase play-offs, with a return date against Zrinjski set to take place at Selhurst Park next Thursday. A positive result there will see them safely extend a bid to land more major silverware.