A tumultuous weekend in the history of Crystal Palace hit a new low after their 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light when boss Oliver Glasner said his has has been “abandoned completely”.
The Eagles went ahead through Yeremy Pino in the 30th minute before Enzo le Fee levelled three minutes later and Brian Brobbey scored the second nineteen minutes from time, but all of that action was overshadowed by Glasner’s post-match comments.
On Friday, Glasner confirmed that he would leave the club after the expiry of his contract at the end of the season and that captain Marc Guehi was heading to Manchester City in a £20million deal this month.
Palace sold Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze in successive summer windows in 2024 and 2025 but it is the departure of Guehi that really stings. Glasner had already been critical of Palace’s relative lack of transfer activity last summer and said it was a “surprise” when he found out Guehi was leaving.
Glasner then upped the ante after the defeat on Wearside.
“I’ve seen a team that is leaving their heart on the pitch,” Glasner said. “As you have seen we couldn’t make a sub, we had no one on the bench. I feel we are being abandoned completely. Because I can’t play many players.
“They did everything they could and this has been going on for weeks and months now. And we have twelve, thirteen 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 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.
“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 tonight.”
Glasner had to play midfielder Jefferson Lerma on the left side of a back three and his lack of resources was underlined by the presence on the bench of Danny Imray, who had just been recalled from a loan spell at League One Blackpool.
Glasner was asked to reveal who he was referring to when he said the team had been abandoned.
He replied: “It’s pretty clear, yeah? It’s pretty clear. Again, I didn’t sell anyone. If you get your heart torn out twice this season, one day before a game, it was with Eze in summer, it was with Guehi now, you know? What should I tell the players all the time? What should I tell them?
“And then I see the performance today for 50, 60 minutes, it was not easy with all the circumstances going here with twelve players from the squad, and yes then you have fifteen, 20 minutes when you are under pressure, you concede the goal, I look at the bench, I can’t react, just kids on the bench, and this has not happened yesterday, this is weeks ago. That’s why I’m really frustrated today.”
Glasner added: “Of course [the board] know [about his frustrations], we’re talking all the time. But again, talk does not win the game.”
There is now speculation Glasner could leave this month. But he denied it.”No, never, I would never. I will go with this group of players until the end. I have so much respect for their character. I see their disappointed and I know how hard they are working, I see how hard they are fighting at the end. Never, no chance.”
Palace host Chelsea this Sunday (2pm).
