It is a measure of Oliver Glasner’s confidence in his own ability that the Austrian has never been afraid to crack a joke. Back in 2019 when he had just guided Wolfsburg to a nine-match unbeaten spell after joining from Lask – where he served simultaneously as the director of sport and head coach – the former defender was asked whether it had been a big step up to the Bundesliga. “For me it was 680 kilometres, a fairly big step,” he responded. “But other than that I don’t feel it’s such a big step up.”
Fast forward nearly five years and after less than three months in charge of Crystal Palace, Glasner has shown the Premier League he deserves to be taken seriously. Monday’s 4-0 thumping of Manchester United meant his side have scored 11 goals in their past three matches at Selhurst Park and taken more points – 13 – from their past five matches than anyone other than Manchester City. No wonder Glasner made light in February at his first press conference of a question about the possibility of following in the footsteps of Frank de Boer by being sacked by Palace after four games. “I could have stayed in Austria and gone skiing,” he said.
