Palace will be 'more expansive' under Glasner - Stone Q&Apublished at 15:30 4 March
15:30 4 March
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.
Your views on Saturday's gamepublished at 12:11 4 March
12:11 4 March
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.
Catch up on the weekend's Premier League actionpublished at 07:20 4 March
07:20 4 March
Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.
'Chin up, stay positive' - Glasnerpublished at 18:45 2 March
18:45 2 March
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."
Analysis: Tottenham 3-1 Crystal Palacepublished at 18:22 2 March
18:22 2 March
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.
Tottenham 3–1 Crystal Palace: Key statspublished at 17:45 2 March
17:45 2 March
Tottenham Hotspur have won five Premier League matches despite conceding first this season, their most in a season since 2015-16 (also five).
Crystal Palace are winless in their last eight away Premier League games (D3 L5), failing to win either of their last two despite scoring first in both games (drew 1-1 vs Everton, lost 2-1 today).
Timo Werner scored his first Premier League goal for Tottenham Hotspur and his first in the competition since April 2022 for Chelsea against Arsenal. He’s the fourth player to score for both Chelsea and Spurs in the Premier League, after Eidur Gudjohnsen, William Gallas and Gustavo Poyet.
Tottenham Hotspur completed 728 passes in this match today, the most they have completed in a Premier League home match that Opta has on record (2003-04 onwards).
Across his last 50 Premier League appearances for Leicester and Spurs, James Maddison has had a hand in 36 goals, scoring 17 times and assisting 19 goals.
Son Heung-Min has been involved in 19 goals in his last 20 Premier League appearances for Spurs (13 goals, 6 assists) and he has scored nine goals against Crystal Palace in the competition, only netting more against Southampton (10).
Full-time: Tottenham 3-1 Crystal Palacepublished at 17:02 2 March
17:02 2 March
Tottenham boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League by staging a dramatic late comeback to beat Crystal Palace.
Ange Postecoglou's side were heading for back-to-back defeats after Eberechi Eze's opener until two goals in three second-half minutes turned the game around.
Timo Werner scored his first goal for the club by converting Brennan Johnson's cross in the 78th minute before Cristian Romero headed in James Maddison's cross in the 80th.
Captain Son Heung-min swept home a minute from time to seal the three points, moving his side to within two points of fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Werner had failed to convert when played clean through in a forgettable first half in which the hosts failed to break down Palace's stubborn defence.
Eze's sweetly-struck free-kick put the visitors ahead in the 59th minute and there were grumbles from the home fans as chances were missed early in the second.
But, to their credit, Spurs stuck to their task to inflict a first defeat on Palace manager Oliver Glasner.
Villa can regain their five-point cushion with victory in the late kick-off - a visit to Luton Town.
Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?
Sutton's predictions: Tottenham v Crystal Palace published at 11:01 2 March
11:01 2 March
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.
For this weekend's games, he takes on Sam McTrusty and Ross McNae from rock band Twin Atlantic.
Sutton's prediction: 3-0
Tottenham are still chasing a Champions League spot and, if they get it, it would represent a magnificent season - especially when you think about the way they finished the previous campaign.
I didn't give them a chance of making the top four at the start because I thought it would take a while for Ange Postecoglou to implement his ideas, but that has happened quicker than I expected.
As for Palace, well their new manager Oliver Glasner got off to a great start by beating Burnley in his first game and but this is a much tougher test.
Spurs have stuttered a little bit in the past few weeks and dropped points, but they have got superior players.
Glasner has been talking about his footballing philosophy and how it is all about scoring goals, but Tottenham are pretty good at that, and if they can find their rhythm then they will come out on top.
How has Textor's interview landed with supporters?published at 16:06 1 March
16:06 1 March
Alex Pewter Fan writer
In the same way that John Textor may view himself as a disrupting force within football, you could extend that to his impact on the Crystal Palace boardroom.
In his fascinating interview with Alex Howell on Thursday, Textor spoke freely on several topics – many of which relate to his club in South London.
This is not an Eagles fan's first experience with an owner or investor willing to give their opinion. After all, having had Simon Jordan and Steve Parish as club chairmen over the past twenty years, neither have shied away from the media.
However, it can be argued that Parish's appearances have become more curated or selective in the past couple of seasons. Meanwhile, Textor is seemingly open to expressing his views, which could put him at odds with his fellow owners.
On the surface, the theoretical rift in the boardroom has been plastered over, especially following the appointment of a Textor-endorsed manager in Oliver Glasner and some end-of-window transfer signings.
Textor often appears affable, engaged in the club's direction and is probably well-intentioned. It is also refreshing for any stakeholder in a Premier League club to question and debate points such as Financial Fair Play and the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules.
However, there is baggage that comes with his and Eagle Football Holdings' vision for football. Whether it is dressed up as a multi-club model or not is largely semantics, but it is unlikely that the Palace fanbase will ever entirely welcome being part of a larger network of clubs.
That feeling may be driven by a romantic notion of football, but the sport is increasingly capitalist and billionaire-fuelled. Each club in Textor's group is built on a long history, and none wishes to be relegated to being part of a machine, especially if that means losing their identity.
The Holmesdale Fanatics at Selhurst Park may be the most outspoken section of fans and do not carry unanimous support, but they highlight legitimate concerns.
As a group that the club has been willing to use as part of their image and marketing, it also makes them challenging to dismiss out of hand.
Whatever your takeaway from this interview in particular, the more open discussion and dialogue between the club hierarchy and fanbase is unlikely to be a bad thing.
Glasner gives Eze update and previews Spurspublished at 13:46 1 March
13:46 1 March
Alex Howell BBC Sport football news reporter
Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media after his first full week of training as Crystal Palace manager.
The Eagles take on Tottenham on Saturday and here are the key lines from his news conference:
Glasner confirmed the return of Will Hughes and Eberechi Eze while Joachim Andersen will also be fit despite coming off in the win against Burnley: "They are all OK. Will and Ebs had all the training sessions all week and they are back in the squad for tomorrow."
He is pleased to welcome Eze back: "'I'm always happy when the players are fit and available. He's a great player for us. It's important for us that he is back. He's an experienced player. [But] Ebs cant win the game for us alone. He is a part of the team."
Glasner explained how he conducts his training: "We have to take care of the players and have to make sure they are ready for the game. The most important level is Saturday. We have different days we are training. This is just the beginning for all of us. The players did it well all week. I didn't find something new that nobody does. We have our ideas and try to implement it."
He has appreciated having the opportunity to conduct a full week of training: "The most important thing I could show this week was our daily routine. Everything we do in training is for what we need in a game. I cannot demand something from the players in the game that we do not do in training."
On Palace's poor run at Tottenham: "Of course, I know the terrible record. What happens in the past must not always have to be in the future. We go there and we are preparing as well as we can."
He respects opposite number Ange Postecoglou: "Postecoglou has done a great job, they defend very high and are very aggressive. We go there with confidence and to try to take the three points."
Textor confirms Premier League interest in O'Brienpublished at 13:33 1 March
13:33 1 March
Alex Howell BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Palace co-owner John Textor has spoken openly about his multi-club ownership with Lyon, Botafogo and Molenbeek also in his portfolio.
One of the deals that has been done between those club is when Palace under-21 centre back Jake O'Brien moved to Lyon in August 2023, following a loan at Textor's Molenbeek.
He's played 19 games this season and scored three goals and is developing into a key part of the Lyon side.
"I work very closely with Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish and I pick off the situations," Textor told BBC Sport. "They [players] may not be ready for the Premier League, but O’Brien wasn't ready for the Premier League.
"He was ready for Belgium 2, now he’s ready for French 1, and now we have teams in the Premier League that are calling on him."
'Fascinating read' and 'refreshingly honest' - fans on Textorpublished at 10:59 1 March
Clive: It was good to hear from a man in such a position in a football club as usually it is the manager that takes all the slings and arrows of a football club. I agree with a lot of what he said, especially the fair play situation and funding of football clubs, but still not too sure about multi-club ownership.
Paul: Fascinating read providing rare insight into the runnings of the club and interactions of the shareholders. I think this sort of communication should be well received by the vast majority of fans, not just those holding up protest banners when things aren’t going well.
Joe: We need the boardroom to have a shared vision and the fans want to see progress after 10 years. It's good to see that they are publicly backing each now and giving clarity (whether it's true or not) on how things have unfolded. A new manager and now cohesion in the boardroom is definitely welcomed by fans.
Bill: John Textor's interview was refreshingly honest, lifting the veil on what I've thought all along has been the reason for a perceived lack of investment. It went a long way to explain our lack of progress of late. Only wish that he'd done so before Roy Hodgson was mercilessly hounded out of the club.W as also pleased the 'ultras' were put in their place at last.
Paul: John Textor has said it as it is. The ultras are a passionate minority. The average Palace fan supports the team and management through good and bad times. The negative banners help nobody other than the opposition team.
'Textor wanted to take an opportunity to speak directly to fans'published at 10:01 1 March
10:01 1 March
Alex Howell BBC Sport football news reporter
The interview with John Textor gave a lot of interesting insight to how a club is run, boardroom dynamics and to fans.
Textor, along with the whole Palace board have come under scrutiny for many weeks with the poor form of the team and questions about how the club is being run.
It felt as though Textor wanted to take an opportunity to speak directly to fans and clear up some of the common feelings of discontent around the club.
He spoke openly about his difficulty of being the largest individual shareholder at Crystal Palace but having a minority share, plus only being one of four votes at board level.
Textor says, although he and chairman Steve Parish may disagree on topics, that it is part of football and adds up to a club being run effectively.
He mentioned a few times how difficult a job Parish has and that he has 12 years experience of running a Premier League club.
His main concern is that he is unable to move players from his other clubs, Lyon, Botafogo and Molenbeek to the Eagles.
Textor said he would like to buy more shares but he says so would Josh Harris and David Blitzer.
The multi-club owner says even if he had bought a majority share of the club, he would leave it to the football people like sporting director Dougie Freedman to run.
The interview has sparked conversation for Palace fans and the wider debate around multi-club ownership.
What do you make of Textor's interview?published at 08:32 1 March
'I don't work for the ultras' - Textor gives rare interviewpublished at 08:31 1 March
08:31 1 March
Image source, Getty Images
Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor is the club's biggest shareholder and his Eagle Football Holdings has about a 45% stake in the Premier League outfit.
In a rare and revealing interview, Textor spoke to BBC Sport about his love of Palace, fan protests, his relationship with chairman Steve Parish and why he admires Oliver Glasner.
On Crystal Palace fan banners
"There's a lot of talk of that but it's misguided. I read these banners which are nonsense. I showed up a couple of years ago and I do nothing but support as one of four members of the board and then I see banners which say 'Textor we don't trust you'. I don't care.
"They don't need to trust me, I'm not running the club.
"They don't like capitalism apparently in the ultras at Crystal Palace. So I went to talk to them about it. I met them outside Selhurst Park and they said, 'John, you bought Lyon - are you aware of the politics of your ultras in Lyon?'
"I said, 'God no, what are they?'
"They said, 'Well, they are right, and we at Palace are left.' Well I don't care, this has nothing to do with football.
"I have an opinion of Crystal Palace and the culture and the fans which I love - but ultras in some clubs...
"I was drawn to this relationship of club and community. It's organised fan groups which hijack that relationship. Some very smart people in football told me, 'John, pay attention to the ultras, they can be wonderful, they can be passionate, they can be supportive but make sure you know who your fans are - all of them.'
"I developed a belief that I work for the anonymous fan that I don't know, and he or she is 10 years old and they love the club because their father loves the club. I don't work for the ultras."
'Every fan should love that I want to buy more shares'published at 08:31 1 March
08:31 1 March
Image source, Getty Images
On his love for Crystal Palace
"I don't manage Crystal Palace. I'm in a weird spot as a multi-club person. Crystal Palace is my first investment. My boys are in love with the team, I'm in love with the team, I'm in love with the general culture of Crystal Palace.
"Am I as passionate about it? Quietly when I watch the games, but I'm not responsible for it. The collaboration has been great for me. I work very closely with [sporting director] Dougie Freedman and [chairman] Steve Parish and I pick off the situations.
"When I came in at Crystal Palace, my capital helped them complete the academy, which was Steve's project which predated me.
"With Doug and Steve's leadership, my capital helped bring Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and a lot of terrific players. I was one of four votes helping to endorse those selections - they weren't my selections."
On relationships with Parish & the board
Alongside Textor and Parish, Joshua Harris and David Blitzer own around 18% of the club each. They own a number of sports organisations with their company Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment.
"When you're a majority owner in three clubs and you get used to being very involved and then you have to change your hat to be a minority owner in another club, sometimes day to day it's difficult to make that transition.
"But, I came into Palace knowing I would be a minority owner. I had a chance to buy a majority; I chose not to.
"When people talk about the dysfunction on the Crystal Palace board, where? Who are they, who says this? We meet every Friday at 11am and Steve communicates as much as any Premier League owner I know. If we disagree on a player, our fans should expect us to. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?
"There are a million opinions about who is your best right-back or left-winger. Am I supposed to go to the meeting and say, 'Yes Steve, I love all of your choices'? We have maybe disagreed on two players in two years and people want to talk about dysfunction.
"We disagree a little bit on the multi-club thing but a lot of people do.
"There are benefits to the multi-club collaboration and there are dangers to it. Steve's been running a Premier League club for 12 years.
"Would I love to own the majority of Crystal Palace? I think every fan of Crystal Palace should love that I want to buy more shares, that [shareholder David] Blitzer wants to buy more shares, that [shareholder] Josh Harris wants to buy more shares. How can people be upset about this?
"Steve runs it, we're the largest shareholder, and we are asked our opinion on every major decision and we share it. Obviously, you can see that Steve was highly collaborative on his selection of coach."
'If he spoke French, Glasner would be Lyon coach'published at 08:31 1 March
08:31 1 March
Image source, Getty Images
On hiring new manager Oliver Glasner
"Everybody knows I've been following Oliver Glasner around forever. I love him.
"Steve [Parish] met him independently and he made his own decision on Oliver Glasner.
"I'll tell you why we liked him back from Lyon. If he spoke French, he would be the coach of Lyon now.
"I think he's a better fit for Palace. He's part of the modern breed of managers that manage everything about the player, the body. He runs his players up to 120% of game intensity on a Wednesday and manages their recovery so they go into 90 minutes on a Saturday and they feel it's a walk in the park. At the end of 90 minutes they want to play more.
"As far as his style of play, I thought it was the perfect match. Oliver's theory is that he'd rather win the ball in their half.
"He will set a trap on the press and it's not just one guy going, it's not just two guys going, it's five guys knowing they're going to go and they'll know what part of the pitch they're going to expose. They'll know where the vulnerability is."
On the future
"I don't want to run [Palace] one day. I don't even like running the clubs I have. I'm a fan, we have good football people in place. One of my favourite people on the planet is Dougie Freedman, everybody knows that.
"The only place where I think I would like to see more collaboration is when Palace is struggling with those reserves and struggling with injuries and I have a boat-load of athletes.
"I'm in it for the long game. Is there a possibility that if we can't achieve greater collaboration that we would consider selling our interest in Palace? It's possible. Would we consider buying more? I think we'd prefer that. This is a message to the fans again. They have a club where everybody who owns stock wants to own more of it. Why are they complaining?
"Look, people deserve to complain when they're losing games, but generally sometimes they don't want to believe their own eyes.
"A great start to the year. Injuries come and they [some fans] want to just ignore the fact that we still have to put great young players like Jes Rak-Sakyi and David Ozoh and Malcolm Ebiowei against Kyle Walker - it can't be done.
"Then the banners come out - 'Dysfunction, looking back, Roy's bad, Steve's bad, John's bad'. I would just ask the fans to believe their own eyes and not believe there's a greater problem than the one they see on the pitch."
Which Palace player makes Brown's underrated XI?published at 13:06 29 February
13:06 29 February
BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown has been picking his underrated XI of the Premier League season so far.
Eberechi Eze
If you look at the magic three for Palace, who have been missing for such a long time this season because of injuries, you just feel like he has got something different.
The way he can ease past people when he wants to, check both ways, score goals and moves quickly and easily about the pitch – he is a wonderful and exciting player.
There will be suitors all over him in the summer and Palace will do well to keep hold of him. Everybody will be aware of what he can bring and how good of a footballer he is. He is getting more intelligent and getting better and better.
Palace as a side can be quite rigid and don’t always open up teams, but he can. He's involved with the England team now and that tells you everything you need to know when a player is getting an England call-up.
It is tough to choose him over Michael Olise, but I think right now he might just be a little ahead of him. They are both wonderful players with wonderful technique in different areas of the pitch, but I have just liked Eze for a long time.
The new manager Oliver Glasner will want him on the pitch as much as he can, but Palace will have to be careful if they want to play this high press and this dynamic style of play as it will take time to adapt and only time will tell how they do that.
