LITTLE has changed about Selhurst Park in the Premier League era but a worthy addition would be a statue of Oliver Glasner.
For last season’s FA Cup triumph alone, Glasner is assured of immortality among Palace fans, yet he may not be at the club for much longer.
Glasner, 51, is one of the Premier League managers Manchester United are keeping an eye on. Palace are unbeaten in three games against United under Glasner, who oversaw their 4-0 drubbing of Erik ten Hag’s side in May 2024.
The Austrian’s work at Palace since his appointment in February 2024 – a top-ten finish, a first piece of silverware, European qualification – are enhanced by how swiftly and successfully Glasner has given Palace an identity.
The irony, for United, is it has come in the 3-4-2-1 system that Ruben Amorim is infamous for.
Glasner is not as wedded to it as Amorim. Though he hasn’t strayed from it at Palace, he did occasionally use a back four with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Yet Glasner’s crowning glory with Eintracht, the 2022 Europa League final, came with the team lined up in 3-4-2-1.
If United were to dispose of Amorim, logic would dictate that his replacement has to use a back four. Alternatively, United have the personnel to operate in 3-4-2-1 but maybe require a more experienced and pragmatic coach.
A source said Glasner is also more “flexible” than the dogmatic Amorim, who does not deviate from 3-4-2-1 in-game.
Glasner’s contract at Selhurst Park expires at the end of the season and Palace could not begrudge him if he saunters off into the sunset.
There could be another trophy in the cabinet. The upshot of Palace’s polarising demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League is that it is a more eminently winnable competition.
Palace are a club-record 19 matches unbeaten and made a winning start to their Conference League campaign against Dynamo Kyiv in Poland.
Scanning through the opponents in the Conference, the only esteemed big-hitter Palace could encounter is Fiorentina. As Chelsea showed last season, a Premier League club can sleepwalk to the latter stages of the Conference. West Ham won it in 2023.
Palace have been deprived of Eberechi Eze but still have Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton and Jean-Philippe Mateta, surrounded by a dogged and diligent support cast.
United could come calling long before the Conference League final in Leipzig in May. Glasner would not cost as much to prise from Palace as Amorim did from Sporting Lisbon, who received €10million (£8.72m).
Despite all the uncertainty around Amorim, United maintain that he retains their backing and they have nobody lined up.
Glasner, for all his pros, is not an obvious upgrade. Eintracht finished 11th in the season they defeated Rangers on penalties and moved up to seventh the following campaign.
At United, Glasner would be one of the most scrutinised coaches in sport. Eintracht are a big club in Germany but not a traditionally successful one.
Glasner found a niche at Palace – a mid-table team starved of success until they floated back down Wembley Way in May.
Amorim was head-hunted by United as he had ended the Benfica-Porto duopoly in the Portuguese league.
His profile and image was a refreshing change from Erik ten Hag and supposedly represented long-termism. Eighteen wins from 49 games has changed that.
There won’t be a statue of him outside Old Trafford.
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