Crystal Palace: Germans ‘surprised’ Glasner has chosen ‘small English club’ after Hodgson sack

Joe Williams
New Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and Roy Hodgson
Oliver Glasner is set to take over from Roy Hodgson.

Former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner has agreed a contract at Crystal Palace until 2026 with the option of a further year, according to reports.

Reports that the Austrian could replace Roy Hodgson emerged around the same time of news that the Crystal Palace boss was taken to hospital during a training session on Thursday morning.

Hodgson was later described as “stable” by the Premier League club after undergoing further medical examinations and, as a consequence, Palace called off Hodgson’s pre-match press conference ahead of their match against Everton on Monday night.

It had been suggested Hodgson was going to announce at Thursday’s press conference that he was stepping down, with further speculation emerging on Friday over the former England manager considering an indefinite break from the game.

And now Sky Sports has claimed that Glasner is ‘ready to succeed’ Hodgson at Palace after being pictured at Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves at the weekend, with the Eagles playing the north London side in two weeks’ time.

But it is claimed that ‘it is not yet clear when Glasner will take the reins from Hodgson’ with assistant manager Paddy McCarthy likely to be in charge for their trip to face Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night.

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And Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinze claims there is “surprise” in Germany that Glasner has chosen to join “a small English club” after his previous successes.

Hinze told Sky Sports: “This would be a surprise in Germany if Glasner joins Crystal Palace. I think Crystal Palace is a small English club and Glasner won the Europa League and also achieved Champions League qualification with Frankfurt and Wolfsburg.

“He’s an under-rated coach, he is a mastermind tactically and he has his own minds. He is very strong and powerful and not the kind of person that says yes to everything.

“He is special in a positive way and a very good coach.”

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has warned Glasner that there is “a lot for a new manager to contend with” at Palace ahead of his imminent appointment.

Souness wrote in his Daily Mail column: “The trouble for Palace is it’s a public relations exercise for them now. They have obviously lined up Oliver Glasner as their new manager but the fact Roy has ended up in hospital makes how they announce this change very delicate.

“There has been talk about the threat of relegation for a few weeks now and Roy would have known something was afoot.

“You get a feel when you are a manager that a change is coming, the relationships change. Conversations are different, people in power don’t always answer your phone calls.

“For me, Palace could have spared this scenario by bringing in a young coach alongside Roy when he returned last year.

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“He had saved them from relegation, steadied the ship and was rightly rewarded with a new contract but then, with him at 76, the sensible thing to do was appoint an understudy. That would have taken all this traction out of the situation.

“Should Glasner come in now, it is on a wing and a prayer. How long will it take him to fully understand the demands of the Premier League?

“Palace have suffered enormously with injuries to such key players as Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, plus the loss of Wilfried Zaha who was such a huge influence. They are lacking confidence and worrying where the next win will come from.

“There’s a lot for a new manager to contend with. He has to immediately work out what he has and doesn’t have in the dressing room and it is imperative he has someone alongside him with an understanding of the Premier League and the unique challenges that will come their way every time they play.

“No matter what experience Glasner has previously with Wolfsburg or Frankfurt, the basic fact is the intensity he faces on a weekly basis will be unlike anything he has ever faced before.”