Simon Stone delivers Crystal Palace relegation verdictby stevenmangan4 March 2024
Crystal Palace suffered their first defeat under new manager Oliver Glasner after they lost 3-1 against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Eagles, who won 3-0 against Burnley in Glasner’s first game in charge, find themselves perilously close to relegation at the moment.
BBC Sport journalist Simon Stone says he would be “staggered” if Crystal Palace end up in a relegation battle. He says that Glasner has more experience and a proven track record of success, and in theory, his appointment looks exciting.
At the moment, Sheffield United and Burnley look almost certain to go down. Luton Town are not in a great position either as they occupy the 18th place in the league. The likes of Nottingham Forest and Everton are also struggling as well.
Palace find themselves 14th in the league with 28 points, eight points above the relegation zone, and unless there’s a dramatic collapse, they shouldn’t be in the relegation battle.
What Stone said about Crystal Palace
Writing for BBC Sport, Stone said: “Well, given the furore around Roy Hodgson’s departure, the first thing I would expect is a more expansive approach to the game.
“That has to be combined with results but given how awful Burnley and Sheffield United have been, that Luton are struggling to pick points up and Everton and Forest are both facing charges for breaching Premier League regulations, I would be staggered if Palace end up in a relegation fight.
“Glasner clearly has more experience – and a stronger track record of success, so in theory, the appointment is an exciting one.”
Glasner looks an exciting appointment
The football under Roy Hodgson was dreadful and Palace needed to move in a fresh new direction.
Glasner is someone who loves playing high-intensity football that involves a lot of pressing and quick transitions.
It is too early to judge him, but so far, the signs are positive. These players need time to adapt to the manager’s methods. For most of the game against Tottenham, they controlled the game nicely and took a deserved lead through Eberechi Eze.
However, it felt like they had nothing left in the tank after 70-odd minutes, and Spurs took advantage of it. With more time, the players will get used to this high-intensity football, and the results probably would follow.
Palace face Luton in the next game at Selhurst Park and it’s a must-win game for them. If they win, the Eagles will take a healthy 11-point lead over Luton, and can throw the relegation fears out of window.
