When Oliver Glasner took over from Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace in February 2024, the club was in a desperate situation. The lack of an identity and coherent strategy at all levels soured Hodgson’s tenure. Transfers that hadn’t worked out, injuries, and lackluster tactics meant they were only a few points above the relegation zone.
Glasner helped spark a revival. Not only did he preside over a return to mid-table stability, he also helped deliver memories through cup success that will live on with Palace fans for years. His achievements at Selhurst Park make him one of the most intriguing managerial free agents when he leaves his post at the end of the season, although he is not without his faults.
Perhaps the simplest argument in favor of Glasner is that at every stop he’s had tangible success. He led Wolfsburg to Europa League qualification in 2020, then went a step further in 2021 securing a place in the Champions League after the club finished fourth in the Bundesliga. Glasner’s first season at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22 saw them finish an underwhelming 11th in the Bundesliga, but that was offset by the club winning the Europa League. In his second season they improved to seventh in the league and made it to the round of 16 in the Champions League.
The positive trend continued with Palace. It would require a freakish series of results this season for the club to be relegated, and they have finished mid-table in the other two campaigns Glasner has been at the club. More holistic attempts at quantifying team strength, such as Scout Lab’s Pi Rating, have them above average over a calendar year. That is no small feat given their wage bill was 16th-highest as recently as 2023-24, via Swiss Ramble. He also delivered a memorable victory last season when Palace lifted the FA Cup, the first major trophy in the club’s history. This season could deliver another trophy with Palace in the semi-finals of the Uefa Conference League. It makes for a solid resume.
It’s not just what Glasner has won that makes him an attractive candidate though. He has a clear game model, which prioritizes attacking with speed. When Palace were at their best earlier in the season, they were able to settle in a mid-block with a narrow front-three to dissuade central progression, and utilize situational jumps from the midfield and backline to create turnovers. Metrics which look at style of play, such as direct speed and sequence time from Opta Analyst, have them as one of the most direct sides in the Premier League.
There are caveats though. When Glasner was with Wolfsburg, he clashed with the club’s managing director, Jörg Schmadtke, over transfer policy, an argument which spilled into public. The same issues cropped up when he was at Frankfurt, where he made repeated outbursts during press conferences. That volatility was one of the reasons his time in the Bundesliga was limited.
Similar issues have surfaced during his time in English football. This is not a surprise given how the club went about their summer business, essentially replacing Eberechi Eze with Yéremy Pino, and signing Jaydee Canvot as an eventual replacement for Marc Guéhi. Earlier in the season, Glasner was vocal about the demands of playing in multiple competitions and how Palace’s squad wasn’t deep enough to compensate. Their minutes distribution shows how much he’s chosen to rely on a set core of players. An argument can be made that he was in the right in this case given how good Palace have been because of his coaching. Either way, interested clubs will be at least a bit wary of how often Glasner has gotten into public spats around recruitment.
Perhaps the most significant worry for bigger clubs is how scalable his game model is at higher levels. His Crystal Palace sides are a fine example of how smaller Premier League clubs have become braver out of possession. At their best, their mid-block and attack at pace strategy has been an evolved version of the low-block and counter sides we became accustomed to in previous eras.
However, there are questions over how Glasner would fare at a bigger club who are expected to take the initiative more often. Palace were ranked 17th last season in possession share, and 14th this season. Their recent draw against West Ham showed how tough it can be for them to create chances when they’re being asked to take the initiative.
Glasner should be aware of worrying examples of other managers who have made the leap to bigger clubs. Thomas Frank had consistently helped Brentford punch above their weight since the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2021, an achievement that got him the Tottenham job last summer. Frank’s tenure ended up being a disappointment, and he was fired in February.
Perhaps Glasner will have a better time than Frank if he is given a similar opportunity. His teams in Germany and England have won high-leverage matches, albeit it usually involved them not having to be the proactive side in possession. How would he fare at a club – he has been linked with Newcastle and Chelsea among others – where the onus is on his team to take the initiative? And would clashes with club executives become even more likely amid the pressure of coaching a bigger team? Those are questions which will dictate this summer’s coaching carousel.