Oliver Glasner: I won’t stand in way if Palace feel better off without me

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner does not want to “stand in the way” if his players do not think he is the right man to lead them to the end of the season.

Evann Guessand scored a last-gasp winner to snatch a 1-0 victory over 10-man Wolves at Selhurst Park to ease pressure on the Austrian boss, who had ruffled feathers in the fanbase when he challenged them to “stay humble” following Thursday’s 1-1 Conference League draw at Zrinjski Mostar.

Palace secured just their second win in 16 matches across all competitions, a much-needed moment of relief for the home support, some of whom had made their feelings about Glasner’s comments known in the form of chants – including “1-0 to the humble boys” after substitute Guessand scored in the 90th minute.

“I say this too often,” said Glasner. “Crystal Palace is important, so if the club believes that they will do better without Oliver Glasner, I don’t want to stand in the way.

“This is what I wanted to express when I said I don’t know. If the players believe with a different manager they will do better, I don’t want to stand in the way because I can’t do anything.

“The players have to do it. But of course I spoke to the players and they had the best two years of their life and are believing in it. The club is the same. If the club had said ‘we are not really convinced’ then it would be better to make a change.

“But it is completely the opposite. The club believes, the players believe and of course I always believe in the team.”

A banner raised in the Holmesdale Road end before the contest read “Opportunities missed – board inept. Fans disrespected – Glasner finished”.

“I never disrespected anyone,” added Glasner, who said he could empathise with the fans but wanted to put the campaign – Palace’s first properly in Europe – in perspective.

“This is where I disagree. Everybody who knows me knows that I have a huge respect for everyone. I respect everyone and it’s the same for me.

“I think they felt criticised. It’s important, we have the second-best season (so far), yeah, fans can be disappointed. Absolutely. We are disappointed, we are frustrated and I think I’m the one most of all because I am so ambitious. I always want more.

“I said to the players I think maybe I pushed too hard and I take this criticism, it’s completely fine, but what was important was that they supported the team”.

Palace captain Dean Henderson saved Tolu Arokodare’s 43rd-minute penalty to preserve the deadlock at the halfway point and Wolves went down to 10 men in the 61st minute when Ladislav Krejci was sent off following a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, three minutes after he was first booked.

Wolves boss Rob Edwards said: “The lads were brilliant and took everything on board. They carried out the gameplan really well, I think we were the better team up until the sending off.

“Two big moments – the penalty and the sending off – and those two big things have gone against us.”