Glasner on Palace’s Summer Signings: “We Could Have Done Better” | OneFootball

Crystal Palace’s Missed Opportunities: Glasner Questions Summer Transfer Strategy

Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace’s head coach, has voiced his concerns about the club’s recruitment during the summer window, suggesting that more could have been done to bolster the squad. The Eagles, after losing several key players, appear to have fallen short in replacing them effectively, leaving the team struggling in the Premier League.

Key Departures and a Mixed Transfer Strategy

The summer saw Palace bid farewell to players like Jordan Ayew, Joachim Andersen, Sam Johnstone, and notably, Michael Olise, whose departure to Bayern Munich for £50.8 million left a significant gap. Despite cashing in on Olise, the club’s transfer strategy leaned towards cost-saving. Trevoh Chalobah and Matt Turner arrived on loan, Daichi Kamada joined on a free transfer, and Palace invested a total of £65 million on Chadi Riad, Maxence Lacroix, Eddie Nketiah, and Ismaila Sarr. However, these additions have yet to yield results on the pitch.

Photo IMAGO

With Glasner’s side still winless and positioned in the relegation zone, the Austrian manager faces the challenging task of lifting his team’s performance ahead of their upcoming match against Tottenham.

Glasner Highlights Rivals’ Spending and Palace’s Limitations

When asked if he believes Palace’s struggles are partly due to the financial muscle of other Premier League clubs, Glasner pointed to the league table as an indicator. “We were 10th last season and now to improve? Read the table. Ninth, I think, was West Ham, who invested £140 million net; eighth was Manchester United, and seventh was Newcastle.”

Glasner went on to explain the competitive landscape, where even mid-table clubs like Fulham and Brighton had significantly larger budgets. “So to improve, we have to overtake one of them and when we look back, Fulham was 13th, or something, investing £50 million net and Brighton was 11th investing £180 million net. These are the surroundings of us; we saved £20 million net.”

Frustration Over Last-Minute Signings and Lack of Pre-Season Integration

Glasner’s dissatisfaction with the timing of the summer arrivals was evident. He voiced his frustration over the club’s four deadline-day signings, noting the lack of preparation time for these players. “With four signings on deadline day, it’s not how you wished a transfer window would work. No one says, ‘Yes, we will wait until deadline day and then sign four players two weeks after the Premier League has started and without [the signings having] any pre-season.’”

Reflecting on the strategy, Glasner admitted that improvements could have been made but ultimately recognised that these were decisions taken by the club. “This is clearly what we should have done better. But in the end, it was the club’s decision. We all expected a lot from this season. It hurts; maybe we lost a sense of realism.”

Challenges of Management and Continuous Pressure on Glasner

The 24/7 nature of football management is not lost on Glasner, who revealed the constant communication he maintains with his sporting director, even during the short off-season break. “For me, it’s always difficult to switch off, because we had six weeks off in summer after a great end to the season, and I think I spoke to my sporting director every day, sometimes two or three times. A manager is not leaving their office and done. Sometimes at ten in the evening, they drop a message to me. It’s always a 24/7 job.”

Ongoing Injury Woes for Palace

As if transfer woes weren’t enough, Palace’s injury list remains a thorn in Glasner’s plans. The club is assessing whether midfielder Adam Wharton will require groin surgery. Glasner, however, refused to speculate on Wharton’s recovery timeframe, stating, “I am not a surgeon — I don’t know how long it takes. We have tried to find out whether it is really necessary; at the moment we would say [it is].”

In addition, Glasner provided an update on Matheus Franca, confirming that the winger’s recurring injuries are likely to keep him sidelined until 2025. “He is too far away,” Glasner conceded. “I don’t think that he will play many games or even one game in 2024 for us. We expected Matheus Franca to be back within two to three months and he’s still out.”

Conclusion

Palace’s struggles this season underscore Glasner’s concerns about the summer’s recruitment decisions and the challenges that lie ahead. With key players missing and recent additions needing time to gel, Palace will need to find solutions quickly to climb out of the relegation zone.