Oliver Glasner is torching his reputation at Crystal Palace and setting fire to his big-club appeal | OneFootball

Picking fights in public isn’t winning Austrian any admirers ahead of summer exit

For this, he was heralded as a class act with a strong appreciation of football’s wider significance.

How quickly the promise at Palace and love for Glasner have wilted since.

The FA Cup and Community Shield holders were fourth in the Premier League in December. Now they have two wins from 16 games, a grim run in which the Austrian has publicly criticised the board’s recruitment and last week got supporters’ backs up by demanding they stay “humble” and “remember where you came from” after a bleak 1-1 draw at Zrinjski Mostar which outraged many of the 500 Palace fans who’d braved it to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Fans can be quick to turn, but Glasner’s comments hit a nerve. If fans had not marched the streets and formed the consortium, led by Steve Parish, that saved the club from administration in 2010, there may be no Crystal Palace today.

Glory day: Glasner celebrates with the FA Cup

Action Images via Reuters

Yes, Glasner has given Palace the best years in their history. Yes, the board have allowed the squad to weaken with the sales of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Marc Guéhi. But insisting he is “not good enough” to “integrate the new players” or “cope with the schedule” was unprofessional and foolish. He must play the cards he’s been dealt.

That is his job until his contract expires in June. Unless, of course, Thursday evening brings an exit from the Conference League at the hands of Zrinjski. A premature end to Palace’s maiden European voyage at Selhurst Park and Parish would likely respond to the fan mutiny and sack Glasner.

Parish has a dilemma over what to do next. Hire Glasner’s successor in his mould and they, too, may be unhelpfully outspoken. Hire one who lacks Glasner’s ambition and Palace may never repeat the halcyon days.

He is Palace’s greatest manager regardless, but it feels win-or-bust in Europe to have any hope of fully clawing back a tarnished reputation.

During his two years in post, Glasner has been one of the best communicators among the Premier League’s head coaches; emotion meets pragmatic world view, an arresting clarity of thought.

Fans make feelings clear at the match against Wolves on February 22

Action Images via Reuters

How bemusing it’s his way of communicating that has sullied the goodwill towards him, then. Perhaps a translation issue means his phrasing is starker than he intends. Plenty of his digs have been stark however they’re phrased, though. He has self-inflicted wounds.

In the market for a top job, he was in Manchester United’s thinking as a potential future head coach in recent months but is now thought to have slipped from consideration. He risks torching his prospects elsewhere if clubs fear him pointing the finger when the going gets tough. He did so at Wolfsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, now Palace. He backtracked somewhat after Sunday’s win over Wolves but this reparation job will take longer.

The irony is that in running his mouth to protect his reputation amid Palace’s woes, he is damaging it. Big clubs don’t want their coaches kicking them in public. See: Enzo Maresca, Ruben Amorim.