Crystal Palace

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Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been spending around 12 hours a day, on average, at the training ground since taking over from Roy Hodgson.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the 49-year-old said he's "really appreciating" being manager at the South London club: "Normally I arrive at about 8am in the morning and I leave between 7pm or 8pm in the evening. But for me, I don't feel it is like work.

"I'm really appreciating being at Crystal Palace. For me, I like to be here because I have great staff and players around me, so really I enjoy every minute of being here [at the training ground]."

Palace had been struggling under Hodgson, having won just four of their final 18 Premier League games under the Englishman, but Glasner was prepared to come into the club earlier than expected after Hodgson was forced to step down due to illness.

"For me, it was easy because I had nine months to rest," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"For the first time in my life, it was nine months of doing nothing. I could feel that I would like to have more challenges again and starting mid-season, three days before a game, maybe is a good challenge to start with."

Glasner added that he expects to see even more "improvement" in the coming games, adding: "I want us to be playing very active, very aggressive, play forward, try to score goals.

"I don't think it's anything new but I believe how you want to play, you have to train. This is what we've started to implement. We've started this improvement."

The Eagles now have a three-week break until their next Premier League game where they come up against Nuno Espirito Santo's relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.

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Oliver Glasner says taking charge of Crystal Palace is still "new" and "nothing he had planned to do" after taking over as manager of the club in February.

The 49-year-old Austrian replaced Roy Hodgson, who stepped down from his managerial post early so that the club could "bring forward their plans to appoint a new manager".

Glasner was initially being lined up to replace the 76-year-old English manager this summer, which would have allowed Hodgson to manage the full term and have his deserved send off at the end of the season.

"It [the talks] started in Autumn. We were getting to know each other and talking about maybe how we can work together in summer," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Everyone in the club wanted to end the season with Roy but, in football, it’s very hard to plan over the next months. Then Roy Hodgson became ill and had his health problems. Most importantly, he’s doing well now and everything is OK with him.

"The club asked me, because we had some talks before, if I could imagine starting [managing] earlier. I thought about it, we discussed it, and then we took this decision.

"It’s new. It’s nothing I planned to do. I don’t think any club is planning to change the manager during the season, but sometimes it happens.

Former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Glasner revealed he hasn't had the chance to speak to "fantastic manager" Hodgson just yet: "Not until now, no. I hope to find time, and I will have time, to talk to him because he’s really a fantastic manager, man and human.

"He’s got so much experience in football, I think he’s worked as a manager for more than 45 years. I think he’s one of the football manager faces of England football in the last decade, so I have a lot of respect for Roy.

"I hope we find a time to have dinner together, to talk not just about Crystal Palace but also about his experience in football. I hope I can learn from his experience."

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentaries in full:

• Crystal Palace v Luton Town

• Arsenal v Brentford

A stoppage-time goal from Cauley Woodrow saw Luton Town snatch a draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles made a fast start and Jean-Philippe Mateta put his team into the lead after just 11 minutes.

A pass back from Alfie Doughty towards his goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski led to a mix-up between Gabriel Osho and Kaminski, and Daniel Munoz took advantage before giving the ball to Mateta, who finished with a clever flick into the corner of the net.

The home side had 17 shots during the match and missed a host of chances to make sure they took all three points, with Mateta, Daniel Munoz, Jordan Ayew and Eberechi Eze going close before Odsonne Edouard hit the crossbar late on.

Palace were then punished for not taking their opportunities when second-half substitute Woodrow headed in a cross from Andros Townsend in the 96th minute to spark wild celebrations in the away end and earn what could be a vital point for Luton in the fight against relegation.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Palace fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Luton fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

There are five games being played in the Premier League on Saturday and we will bring you every moment.

Listen to radio commentaries and follow live text updates here

All times are GMT

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

I am at this game for BBC Radio 5 Live and it is a big one for Luton, who have lost four league games in a row as well as going out of the FA Cup to Manchester City.

Their run of good form at the end of January feels a long time ago and, although they have had some difficult games recently, this has to be seen as a fixture where they need to get something if they are going to stay up.

They beat Crystal Palace earlier in the season, so that must be the target again - I am just not sure whether they can do it.

It is a boost for the Eagles that Eberechi Eze is back from injury, and he scored against Tottenham last week.

They always carry more of a threat when he is in the team, but to be completely honest, I really don't know what to expect from them yet under new boss Oliver Glasner.

They beat Burnley comfortably in his first game - which was a great start - but you have to remember the Clarets were down to 10 men for an hour. Then, against Tottenham last week, they lost and only had 22% possession.

What I am trying to say is it is going to take time for things to take shape under Glasner, and we will have to wait and see what kind of playing style he implements. As for this game, well it smells like a draw to me.

Dave's prediction: 1-2

Bria's prediction: 1-2

Read the rest of their predictions here

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Luton Town.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Glasner confirmed Eberechi Eze is "fit": "He did every session from the first until the last minute. He's fit. He looks very good. Of course, the goal gives him a lot more confidence and he was able to play 65 minutes without any problems."

• In other team news, Will Hughes has completed his second full week in training, as he continues his rehabilitation. Matheus Franca is out with a groin injury. Jeffrey Schlupp completed a training session today but won't be in the squad.

• "Nothing" has surprised him about the Premier League since his arrival: "It's a great atmosphere, great players, everything is really well-organised from pre-match to post-match, there is a clear schedule. But, in the end, the pitch is the same size as in Europe and we also play 11 v 11. So I wasn't surprised."

• On what he expects from Rob Edwards' team: "They are a very physical team, play man-to-man defence, have many duels and they play very fast into your box. [They have supplied] the most crosses in the league, approximately 35% of their goals are from after set pieces."

• He added: "We have a lot of respect for them but we are playing at Selhurst Park. We are ready for the game and I'm really happy with the training this week. The players did very well and were very focused."

• Glasner also praised Luton's "Cinderella story": "You find these stories all over the world. It just shows that they've made a great job there. You have to deserve it, and they deserve it. They do it really well in the Premier League, and we respect it, but we'll fight for the three points because we need them."

• "Nothing" has surprised him about the Premier League since his arrival: "It's a great atmosphere, great players, everything is really well-organised from pre-match to post-match, there is a clear schedule. But, in the end, the pitch is the same size as in Europe and we also play 11 v 11. So I wasn't surprised."

• He is not concerned about Crystal Palace's sporting director Dougie Freedman being linked to Manchester United: "It just showed me what I was thinking: that he is a great sporting director and a great person. This is how I see him after two weeks and a lot of talks with him."

• He believes the game being refereed by Sunny Singh Gill is a "great statement", as he becomes the first British South Asian to referee in the English top-flight: "It's great because it shows that everything is possible for everybody. We want to live in such a world where you don't have to care if you're a man or a woman or if you're from any culture - anything is possible."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Crystal Palace v Luton Town from 15:00 GMT on Saturday

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Crystal Palace have announced they will play Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in a mid-season friendly next week.

As a result of their exit from the FA Cup, the Eagles have a weekend off so are taking the opportunity for some warm-weather training in Marbella before the season run-in.

Palace who are 14th in the Premier League will face the Norwegian champions in a behind-closed-doors game on Wednesday, 14 March.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

The match against Luton Town on Saturday will be another chance for Crystal Palace to show their development since Oliver Glasner took over at Selhurst Park.

This time, unlike Tottenham last week, it will be a game in which Glasner will be expecting to see more of the ball.

The Eagles put in a resolute performance against Spurs but, ultimately, conceded three late goals - a theme that has summed up their season.

Palace have conceded 19 goals in the last 15 minutes of Premier League matches so far this season. Conceding so late, so often has cost them vital points and is one of the reasons Roy Hodgson was under so much pressure towards the end of his time in charge.

Glasner has asked for a more intense style of play from his side, and he and the players acknowledged this played a factor in the result at Spurs.

"It's tough, but the intensity that we're playing at is so much higher than we've done before, so to maintain that for 90 minutes is not easy. But I'm sure we're going to get there over the next few weeks," goalscorer Eberechi Eze said after the match.

Palace have 21 days between their game against Luton before they travel to Nottingham Forest and Glasner is looking to address the problem.

"We have started to work on it," he said. "I don't believe in coincidences. If you concede so many goals in the last 15 minutes, we have to work on it and analyse it. [If we are] To improve, it is the most important thing.

"The players are willing to improve it and we have started already, but it's nothing we can do in two or three days. We have one more game against Luton and then three weeks with no game. We will work on it."

There are already signs that Glasner is making a difference since taking charge. And with Eze making a scoring return, if the manager is able to stop the goals going in at the other end, it could make for a positive end to the season.

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's game between Crystal Palace and Luton in the Premier League.

• This will be Crystal Palace's first home league game against Luton Town since February 2007 in the Championship (won 2-1), and first in the top flight since a 1-1 draw in February 1992.

• After their 2-1 win in November, Luton could complete only their fourth ever league double over Crystal Palace, after 1936-37 (Third Division South), 1973-74 (second tier), and 2005-06 (Championship).

• Crystal Palace have won four of their five Premier League games against promoted sides this season, though the exception was a 2-1 loss at Luton in the reverse fixture. The promoted team that most recently achieved the double over the Eagles were Sheffield United in 2019-20.

• Palace have won three of their past four Premier League games at Selhurst Park (L1), as many as their previous 13 beforehand (D5 L5). The Eagles have scored exactly three goals in each of those three wins, after having only scored three or more goals in three of their previous 31 home league matches prior to this.

• Luton have lost each of their past four Premier League games. They have not lost five league matches in a row since November 2019 in the Championship. In the top flight, the Hatters last had a longer losing run within a single season from November-December 1974 (six games).

• Only James Ward-Prowse (six) has more assists from set-plays in the Premier League this season than Alfie Doughty, with five of the Luton full-back’s six assists so far this term coming from set-pieces.

Crystal Palace are drawing up a list of centre-back targets with Marc Guehi expected to be sold this summer for a fee in excess of £50m. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

Manchester United are expected to make an approach to Palace for their sporting director Dougie Freedman. (Guardian, external)

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Alex Pewter
Fan writer

It is interesting what a switch in perspective can do.

Despite all logic and historical records, there was genuine hope on Saturday that Crystal Palace could overcome Tottenham, such is the surge of enthusiasm behind new manager Oliver Glasner.

The reality, however, was that the team was still some way short of the opposition competing for Europe, which is hardly surprising. Yet, the manager has the ambition to close that gap by the time the sides meet next.

Rather than a defeat cascading into a wave of negativity, it helped to highlight what needs to be resolved for the team to progress. After all, Palace are at the beginning of a journey with a new coach rather than in their previous state of limbo.

As the underdog in this fixture, the result itself is not alarming. The state of play at the 75-minute mark was likely much to Glasner's liking and planning, even if there was a lack of chances and shots.

Ruling the collapse that followed as a consequence of conditioning and fitness is perhaps simplistic, but seemingly likely. Glasner dealt with conceding late goals in the post-match news conference as a problem to analyse and fix, which was refreshing.

Securing safety remains the goal but this is a period for the coaching staff to learn about and test the squad. The introduction of Matheus Franca into this game may not have secured the result, but the club has something to gain from such moves that goes beyond match results.

The next match against Luton Town comes with an amount of pressure and expectation to win, but following that, this coaching staff has two weekends off.

With no distractions from matches, the real work can then begin.

Alex Pewter can be found on the FYP podcast, external

Simon Stone
Senior football news reporter

Nick: A great start for Oliver Glasner at Palace followed by a crash back to reality. What do you expect from him and therefore what expectations can Palace fans have? Thanks in advance

Simon: Well, given the furore around Roy Hodgson’s departure, the first thing I would expect is a more expansive approach to the game.

That has to be combined with results but given how awful Burnley and Sheffield United have been, that Luton are struggling to pick points up and Nottingham Forest and Everton are both facing charges for breaching Premier League regulations, I would be staggered if Palace end up in a relegation fight.

Palace did move in this direction before with Patrick Vieira. Glasner clearly has more experience – and a stronger track record of success so in theory, the appointment is an exciting one.

But, as you alluded to, Palace’s current reality is what it is. Eberechi Eze scored at the weekend but Michael Olise did not play. Palace cannot be the attacking force they want to be without those two operating in tandem.

Read more of the Q&A over here

We asked you for your thoughts on Saturday's Premier League match between Tottenham and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Tottenham fans

Howard: Supporting Spurs has and probably never will be easy. Subs made the difference and I am so relieved that Timo Werner has finally got the goal he so desperately needed. Top four is still on.

Gerard: Delighted with the win but disappointed with the performance for 75 minutes. It seems to be happening too often - tiki-taka football often without end result. Hopefully we can build on today's result and have a strong ending to the season.

Matt: Many will bemoan the lack of thrust since the start of the season but there is a lot to be excited about. We've had a run against hardworking teams set up to frustrate us but we're dominating possession. We need to be patient. The current top teams started by owning the ball and needed time to develop their attacks. The cutting edge will come.

John: All I can say is, thank you lads for a great fightback. Just go to Villa next week with a mean temper mood, and give them a very hard time.

Crystal Palace fans

Glen: It's one game so no need to panic. Obviously fitness is an issue which has been a talking point all season in the stands. The formation is good but the players need to adjust to the new ways and so far looking from the stand I see improvement. Keep the faith.

Rob: Palace were very defensive and worked very hard. When they went ahead totally against the run of play, they seemed to have the strategy to frustrate Spurs. In the end, they were outclassed but can take heart knowing they won’t be relegated.

Gary: Our bench is not good enough at this level. When you have got Marc Guehi, Cheick Doucoure and Michael Olise out, anyone would struggle.

Tom: We played extremely well until Eberechi Eze’s goal, when we sat back so deep that we might as well have just let Spurs score. This has been happening all season and we just don’t seem to learn from it.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full:

• Nottingham Forest v Liverpool

• Luton Town v Aston Villa

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We gave the goals too easy to Tottenham. You must play perfect to win here.

"We did well for a long time but should have done it over 95 or 100 minutes.

"Players did a great job, especially in defence. Tottenham didn't find space. In defence we controlled the game. Maybe we could have been more confident with possession but this is part of our development.

"It's a disappointing result but a performance that gives us confidence and hope for the next weeks.

"Mistakes happen.Maybe it is a little tired, losing concentration. The players worked really hard to defend.

"I told the players' chin up, stay positive'. I am sure we will improve."

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Oliver Glasner was keen to point to the positives as his winning start to life as Crystal Palace manager came to an end.

His arrival has brought optimism to Selhurst Park but for 70 minutes this performance - solid in defence in defence and keen to attack quickly on the counter-attack - could be mistaken for one from the better days of former boss Roy Hodgson's reign.

As Glasner said, Palace defended well for most of the match but were sloppy for at least the first two goals, when Brennan Johnson was allowed to come in from the touchline too easily and then James Maddison was gifted space at a corner. Son Heung-min also raced clear for third as the ball broke in behind.

Palace had openings in the first half but their one moment of real quality unsurprisingly came from Eberechi Eze.

His previous appearance was the final win of the Hodgson era - the winger has been out with a hamstring injury since 30 January - and, no matter what other changes come, his fitness will be crucial to Glasner's early period as manager.