The moment Oliver Glasner told Crystal Palace fans to “stay humble”, he lost them. Whatever the context — whatever level of validity the Austrian might feel it had, or that he has also said it in the good times, it was never going to be received well.
At Selhurst Park on Sunday, his side scraped past a bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers team who have won just once all season and have accumulated 10 points from 28 games.
But what happened off the pitch was far more notable. The ultras group, the Holmesdale Fanatics, held aloft a banner a minute into the match that read “Opportunities missed — board inept” and “Fans disrespected — Glasner finished”.
It was a reference to his comments in his pre-match press conference on Friday. “I didn’t expect that the fans carry me through London after winning a trophy,” he said, denying claims he had “checked out”.
Crystal Palace fans make their displeasure known (Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)
“They can say and sing whatever they want,” the 51-year-old added. “I know what I am and am not doing. I have always given my best. Crystal Palace had the best time in their history and I played a small part in this best 18-20 months. I know how football is, you always forget what happened.
“I always said the most important thing is stay humble and it’s the same for the fans. Never forget where you’re coming from. I think a few who are so critical are not so humble and forget where they came from, and you get punished for this.”
When Wolves were awarded a penalty for a naive foul by Adam Wharton on Mateus Mane before half-time, a supporter was removed from his seat after shouting at Glasner from the front row of the Main Stand.
The supporter had told Glasner he should find a way for Yeremy Pino to perform better, with the Spanish No 10 having also been fouled in the build-up to the penalty. The Palace manager shouted back in response that this was what he was already telling his player.
Dean Henderson’s save from a poor Tolu Arokodare penalty may have kept Glasner in his post for now. Evann Guessand’s 90th-minute winner was welcome, but it is possible even that may not be enough given the sentiment in the stands. It was all so laboured and painful throughout much of the game.
Palace fans, so angered by Glasner’s comments, sang mockingly throughout, “I’m humble till I die”, “stay humble, du du du du” and “stay humble for the lads”. They all came before the goal, before “1-0 to the humble boys” was added.
The team are playing with an obvious lack of confidence, a distinct lack of intensity and no clarity. The nervousness is alarming. But, with a totally unfamiliar back three of Jaydee Canvot, Chris Richards and Chadi Riad after Jefferson Lerma and Maxence Lacroix’s injuries, they still somehow found a way to win. Just as they did against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Crystal Palace found a way to win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, in much the same way they did against Brighton & Hove Albion (Jordan Pettitt/PA Images via Getty Images)
Still, though, a significant proportion of fans do not appear to believe in this team under Glasner’s management any longer. He is objectively right when he says it is the second-best season in the club’s history at this stage. But it is tone deaf to say it in these moments.
After Glad All Over had played over the public address system at full time, Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up followed — a song often used for the purposes of trolling online.
It is too late for that. Many Palace fans have felt for a while now that Glasner has deserted them. The decision to reveal before their defeat by Sunderland that he was leaving in the summer signalled the start of a downward turn and a souring of the relationship.
Two years since his appointment and the anger at previous manager Roy Hodgson, they are back in a familiar situation, albeit in a better position.
Palace’s most revered manager, Steve Coppell, once said that “the only loyalty is between the supporter and his club. That will never die”. There is clearly very little of that towards their manager anymore, with the feeling that he has abused the fans’ loyalty to him.
Glasner had a chance to enjoy the kind of status Coppell has. Instead, after his repeated ill-judged comments in recent months, some fans have turned their back on him in the most public way possible.
Winning the FA Cup and the Community Shield, giving Palace their first experience of European football… none of that really matters anymore when it comes to a manager who has now overseen a run of two wins in 15 games and whose words have hurt supporters.
He said initially in his post-match press conference that he did not think he was being disrespectful, before adding that “if somebody felt disrespected, then I want to say sorry because I never want to disrespect anyone”.
But he could not understand why they might feel that way.
Whether it is fair is irrelevant, not least because the carelessness with which he has spoken has come at a time of poor performances, including defeats by AEK Larnaca, Macclesfield and Burnley.
Few are looking at the prospect of eclipsing last season’s record points total, climbing the table, or winning the UEFA Conference League — all of which remain eminently possible.
Palace are 10 points clear of relegation with 11 games remaining. Not yet safe, but close. They are three points behind eighth-placed Bournemouth. But there is little in the performances against weak teams to indicate things will improve.
If those achievements do happen under Glasner, he may salvage something, but his words will always leave a black mark against his name.
Just as Glasner’s emotion has taken over, so have the fans’ emotions. The former has caused the latter, though.
Whatever happens from here, the relationship appears to be broken beyond repair. Was he disappointed that it seemed this way? “No,” was his only response when asked about it after the Wolves match.
The bond has been severed.