Crystal Palace are back on track under Oliver Glasner and the Austrian could yet earn a fitting farewell if his side eventually reach the Europa Conference League final at the end of the season.
It would represent one last moment of history from a manager who has cemented his legacy as the best that Crystal Palace have ever had. And that makes replacing him even more difficult.
On that front, several names have threatened to steal the headlines – some that Palace fans may raise eyebrows at and others that would be dream arrivals.
Andoni Iraola very much falls into the latter category, but his inbox will undoubtedly be full of offers when he leaves Bournemouth this summer.
Why Crystal Palace are likely to miss out on Iraola
In an ideal world, Crystal Palace close in on Iraola and land an upgrade on Glasner, let alone a replacement. In the reality that they live in, however, their calls to the Spaniard are likely to be crowded out by bigger fish following the impressive work that he’s completed at Bournemouth.
Whilst unlikely, all hope isn’t lost for Palace until Iraola arrives elsewhere, but it’s no surprise that he’s a man in demand.
The Spaniard is one of few managers left in the Premier League who prioritise entertainment over pragmatism. It’s why Bournemouth shocked Arsenal, outplaying them in the process, and why stars like Antoine Semenyo have had the platform to earn bigger moves.
Crystal Palace already have the foundations in place for Iraola’s 4-2-3-1 system, too. Players like Ismaila Sarr and Jorgen Strand Larsen could become his new Semenyo and Evanilson – taking the Eagles to a new level.
Glasner upgrade: Crystal Palace set to hold talks with a “Pochettino clone”
Crystal Palace are preparing for Oliver Glasner’s departure at the end of the season.
Alas, it is likely a dream that will remain exactly that, forcing those at Selhurst Park to look towards another impressive manager full of Premier League experience.
Crystal Palace’s Iraola alternative
It’s very easy to think of Tottenham Hotspur’s position in the relegation zone when Thomas Frank‘s name emerges. It was a disastrous spell for the 4-2-3-1 boss, who failed to translate his Brentford success at one of England’s biggest clubs.
But his success at Brentford – a mid-table club firing above expectations – should not be forgotten by Crystal Palace. He showcased himself to be an “outstanding” coach with the Bees, in the words of Troy Deeney.
The Eagles are not Tottenham, thankfully. There is no expectation of possession or control at Selhurst Park, but there should be an expectation of excitement.
Frank couldn’t provide that at Spurs. His side wasn’t set-up to deliver the counter-attack football that he delivered on a weekly basis at Brentford. Simply put, sides cannot counter if they are the side with the majority of possession in most of their fixtures. When Frank couldn’t adapt, it was never going to work.
Described as “one of the best” by Pep Guardiola, the vacant role at Palace hands Frank the opportunity to wipe his Tottenham spell from history and hand the South London club the same success that he enjoyed in West London.
Similar to Iraola, Frank has also built up a reputation of transforming attacking stars into big-money players destined for big clubs. During his time at Brentford, Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Ollie Watkins all sold for huge profit, before Brentford seemingly replaced their talisman every time.
It should be music to the ears of Steve Parish, who had more than one disagreement with Glasner about selling players during the Austrian’s tenure. In Frank, he would have a manager ready to sell for profit without levels dropping and without complaints.
Glasner has already found Crystal Palace’s new version of Olise
Crystal Palace have nurtured a number of potential superstars with Oliver Glasner at the helm.