Steven Lehmann

The worst week in Crystal Palace history

Perhaps the weeks when we were relegated might have been worse, what with losing access to that sweet, sweet Premier League television money. And speaking of money, the weeks we went in to administration in 1999 and in 2010 are probably worse too. Which is to say this is all a bit of hyperbole from me! But this week certain ranks pretty low in the illustrious 120 year (or 165 year if you prefer!) history of Crystal Palace Football Club.

Losing to Macclesfield FC

It had to start this way. Crystal Palace’s defence of the FA Cup could not have begun smoothly. It is typically Palace for it to go this way. It was written in the stars by the Gods of football that after having the highest of highs in the FA Cup back in May, that reality would come crashing back to remind Palace fans that all is once again back in balance in the universe. And it would, of course, be the case that after being the neutrals’ favourites last year, defeating the goliaths of Manchester City in Wembley Stadium, that Palace would succumb to their own giant killing six months later. Life comes at you fast.

In losing 2-1 to Macclesfield FC Palace has created multiple pieces of history:

What was most distressing about this turn of events was not necessarily the events themselves. It’s perfectly possible to imagine a situation where Palace had lost this match due to a last minute scrappy goal. It would obviously be disappointing to go out to a tier 6 side given all of the above, but you could work with it. Hey, that’s just what happens in football sometimes, it’s a low scoring sport so sometimes there are gunna be scrappy upsets. That would be one thing for the Palace fans to deal with, but what actually happened: that Palace were completely and utterly out played at every turn by a side one hundred and seventeen (117!) places beneath them was too much to handle.

Some might chalk this up to the artificial pitch players weren’t used to, or the exceedingly early kick off, or the fixture congestion of a team who, until recently, were still competing in 4 different competitions. All of this might be true and might have played a role, but it does not change the reality that a top division side should not, under almost any circumstances, be getting out played by a team so far below them in the leagues.

On top of this, Palace have always been a team with some guts and some fight about them, but the team that showed up that day were lacking that entirely. To win a football match you can either be technically good, or mentally good and Palace were neither. And that is how you lose football matches.

It was a frankly disgraceful performance, that resulted in the world laughing at us and means we will be the answer to quiz questions until the end of time. Perhaps we might never be able to live this down, there might never be a bigger upset in the history of football.

This is a poor event on its own, but it also comes in the context of a period of shocking form for Palace, and news that would worsen as the week continued.

Marc Guéhi is set to leave

Our dependable captain Marc Guéhi is set to join Manchester City for £20 million. it’s never a good time to lose a player as good as him, he would be difficult to replace at the best of times, but mid-season is certainly not helping matters.

It’s possible to argue that it is better that he leaves now in January so we can get a fee for him. To a degree I agree with this. The model of recruitment that Palace is built on is to buy young players, let them grow and mature in to world class quality players, and then sell them on for a profit in order to enable you to buy the next hot young prospect. And that model can only truly work if you are willing to actually sell the players.

As of today, Palace are worse as a result of this sale. But it’s possible to argue, as many did last summer when transfer rumours were also swirling, that it’s better to keep players like Guéhi if they can be part of a squad that steers you to titles and glory. Perhaps Palace fans who say this are getting ahead of themselves, but it is true to say that given this sale, Palace are now less likely to win the UEFA Conference League and less likely to do well in the Premier League. Both of these things will lead to less money for Palace, probably not the £20 million they received for him however. But football is about going for glory, and selling one of your best players mid-season with limited time to reinvest that money or for any new signing to bed in means a poorer performance that season.

I wish Guéhi well, it will be painful to have to see him win things in England as part of the juggernaut that is Manchester City, and I would have rather seen him go overseas like another former Palace player Michael Olise, but I hope he is a success. I just would have rather him have that success as a Palace player. There goes the possibility of him lifting the World Cup for England as a Palace player. We will always have the FA Cup though!

Glasner is not renewing his contract

Oliver Glasner is responsible for the single greatest day in the history of Crystal Palace Football Club (victory in the FA Cup final) and responsible for what is probably the second greatest day in the history of Crystal Palace Football Club (victory in the Community Shield) too. And so for those reasons it is hard to dislike the man. But the manner of what seems to be the closing chapter on his time at Crystal Palace can still fill me with sorrow.

In a press conference ahead of the game away at Sunderland Glasner said:

“My decision has already been taken, months ago. I had a meeting with Steve in the October international break.

“We had a very long talk and I told him I will not sign a new contract for Crystal Palace.”

Well.

That’s deeply sad.

Most Palace fans knew in their heart of hearts that Glasner was probably going at the end of the season anyway, the man clearly has a level of ambition that simply can’t be met by a club of Crystal Palace’s size.

But hearing it from the horse’s mouth, again like Guéhi’s departure, in the middle of the season is like taking all the air our of a balloon.

Then for Glanser to come out after the lose at Sunderland and say that he feels “abandoned completely” by the club’s hierarchy fills you with a sense of dread.

Perhaps Glasner might be able to continue to pull the team through and get some good results, but the vibes around the squad at the moment must be pretty putrid what with the departure of a key player, the knowledge your manager won’t be here at the end of the season, and the fact our last win came 10 games ago. It’s a bad run of form for anyone, but this news does not bring any confidence that the team will be able to get out of this slump any time soon.

And given the fact Glasner is clearly in open revolt against the board, it’s not entirely certain he will be here to the end of the season regardless. I think it would be best to keep him, but club figures will not appreciate being so publicly criticised in the media.

If Glasner’s leash provided by the FA Cup victory extended to open criticisms like this remains to be seen. As with most things in football, time will tell.

So what’s next

Palace are now out of the two domestic cup competitions, and lie 13th in the league, 11 points off the relegation zone and 8 points off 4th. So winning the league seems like a goner (as if it was ever possible)! Palace’s goals now are to avoid relegation and to win the UEFA Conference League.

They have struggled more than some might have expected, repeatedly failing to break down teams who sit back and defend. The tables have turned! This is what Palace would do to the bigger teams! If Palace and Glasner can figure out a way to do break teams down then there is no reason they can’t go far in this tournament.

But it is one game at a time. Next up is the two legged knockout round play-off against Zrinjski Mostar from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

This might have been one of the worst weeks ever for a Palace fan, but I live in hope, as I always do.

Up the Palace!