In the enclosed away end at HSK Zrinjski Mostar on Thursday, Oliver Glasner’s once peerless relationship with Crystal Palace supporters was left beyond repair.
It seems inevitable that Glasner’s departure, originally scheduled for the summer, will be accelerated and Palace will sever ties with the manager imminently.
The chants in Bosnia & Herzegovina were damning: “sacked in the morning”, “we want Glasner out” and “zero games undefeated, playing football the Glasner way” – a stark contrast to the 19 games undefeated chant in Lublin in October 2025.
The Palace supporters, who have often been split, were unanimous in their contempt. When asked about the sentiment on Friday, Glasner responded: “Maybe I would sing the same”.
That furore kickstarted a chaotic 24 hours that put Glasner’s immediate future in doubt. The direction of travel now is that he will struggle to make it to the end of the week, let alone the end of the season.
How Glasner’s reign reached breaking point
This situation has been simmering for a while. Supporters, whether right or wrong, began to lose faith in Glasner when he announced he would leave at the end of the season on the same day he confirmed club captain Marc Guehi would join Manchester City.
The following day, he launched an attack on the club’s hierarchy that could have been a sackable offence, suggesting they had “abandoned” him and his side. His arguments may have merit, but he publicly dragged the club’s name through the mud and his card has been marked since. The spiritless draw against Zrinjski was just the latest episode and the noise now appears too loud for him to survive.
Every mistake, poor result and misplaced word in a press conference is pounced on to argue that he has checked out of the job. Glasner himself admitted that results have not been good enough.
“I take responsibility, I’m just not good enough right now to replace the players we sold, integrate the new players and cope with the schedule,” he said on Friday.
His team have lacked purpose and their counter-attacking identity has been lost in a flurry of aimless passing. The moment teams get in their faces or there any signs of adversity, Palace crumble. They have notoriously struggled to break down low blocks throughout his tenure – the consensus among supporters is that he is too rigid in his approach, and too devoted to his 3-4-2-1 system.
Oliver Glasner does not look happy following the 1-1 draw with Zrinjski..
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If Palace decide to pull the trigger, it will be due to a combination of the team’s torrid form, growing toxicity among the fanbase, and his own critical comments.
Chairman Steve Parish is not usually reactive in such situations, but he does tend to follow the mood of the supporters. When they turn, it usually signals the end for a manager – as was the case with Roy Hodgson and Patrick Vieira.
What they do between now and the end of the season is tricky, as several of Palace’s favoured candidates to succeed Glasner would not want to come into the role mid-season.
Crystal Palace’s next manager – the options
German manager Roger Schmidt, who has not stepped back into the dugout since leaving Benfica in 2024, is on Palace’s shortlist to replace Glasner. Rayo Vallecano boss Inigo Perez and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are also ambitious options.
A lack of immediate options that align with the club’s long-term vision may force Palace to employ a stopgap manager until the end of the season. One possible avenue is former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, who boasts experience winning European silverware and is seeking to rebuild his reputation after a calamitous spell at Nottingham Forest – though it may be difficult to land a manager of his stature on a short-term deal.
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The focus at Selhurst Park until the end of the season must be winning the Conference League, although Palace are not yet safe in the Premier League. The current instability may see them dragged back into a relegation battle and that would make Glasner’s position untenable.
His legacy as the club’s most successful manager is already secure – he bucked trends, shattered the glass ceiling and delivered moments of glory that will always be treasured. Yet it now comes with the caveat of the disarray that followed, including a run of just one win in 15, including defeats to Burnley, Macclesfield and Leeds.
He arguably still has the tools to deliver both safety and push for the Conference League title. However, his increasingly downcast demeanour suggests he may no longer have the will to achieve those things. Among the supporters, that belief has all but evaporated. Now it is over to the hierarchy.
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