Oliver Glasner’s return to Crystal Palace was expected to be met with controversy and frustration from fans, yet the overriding emotion was one of gratitude for everything the Austrian achieved during his time at SE25.
The build-up to this fixture had been riddled with talk of a hostile reception for the man who masterminded three trophies during his time in south London. Yet, unfortunately for the media, there wasn’t a story of anger or vitriol to be written about his homecoming. Instead, it felt as though Glasner and Colombian defender Daniel Munoz were given the farewell they had both missed out on at Selhurst Park.
Munoz, of course, left for Forest in the summer without a proper goodbye, having been placed on the bench for the visit of Manchester City, whilst Glasner’s final match as Palace manager at Selhurst Park was largely overshadowed by Arsenal’s title celebrations and the club’s focus on the Leipzig final against Rayo Vallecano.
As soon as the Nottingham Forest team bus arrived, the squad was greeted by plenty of Palace fans keen to pay their respects to Glasner and Munoz. Both signed autographs and even posed for a photograph with a young supporter. The mood remained positive as staff members and former team-mates caught up with the pair in the mixed zone before the warm-ups. Munoz spent time chatting with fellow Spanish speakers in the Palace squad, including Jefferson Lerma and Yeremy Pino.
Glasner, however, did not emerge for the pre-match warm-up alongside Pierre Sage. Instead, he spent his time catching up with people he knew from the club whilst also carrying out media duties with Sky Sports.
All of this was probably to be expected. The main source of intrigue centred on whether the supporters would verbally welcome him back to Selhurst Park. After shaking hands and posing for pictures near the tunnel separating the Holmesdale Road Stand from the Main Stand, the teams emerged.
This was probably the moment Glasner himself had been dreading. As he entered the pitch behind his new team, the response was overwhelmingly positive. He applauded the Main Stand, who reciprocated with a rapturous ovation of their own. In truth, the majority of fans were engrossed in a vociferous rendition of Glad All Over, but those who spotted Glasner walking by had nothing but affection for him.
He took his seat in the away dugout and immediately became the centre of attention for a large group of photographers desperate to capture him in his familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar, surroundings.
A warm embrace between Glasner and his opposite number, Sage, summed up the spirit of the occasion. Sage deserves considerable credit, as does owner Steve Parish, for the manner in which they have both spoken about Glasner and his achievements throughout his two-and-a-half years at the club.
Pre-match, the Frenchman said he had nothing but admiration for Glasner. Afterwards, he was quoted as saying that the objective of the day had never centred on revenge. Instead, it was treated as just another game, and that mentality helped prevent unnecessary clashes both on and off the pitch.
However, the match itself began in a manner that surely tested the mature and good-natured side of the Palace fanbase. Anan Khalaili’s misplaced header fell directly into the path of Dan Ndoye, who slotted expertly past Walter Benitez in the Palace goal.
Glasner responded with a calm, outstretched hand, showing little emotion. There was certainly no over-exuberance in his reaction. Naturally, it was the Forest supporters who took the greatest delight from the opener, serenading their manager with chants of “We’ve got Oli Glasner” to the tune of Glad All Over, while also offering songs in support of owner Evangelos Marinakis and his ability to “do what he wants”.
Their celebrations did not last long. Frustration soon grew as Forest repeatedly failed to convert a series of golden opportunities in a first half during which they genuinely should have been three or four goals ahead by the interval.
Instead, Palace made the visitors pay before the break. Goals from Daichi Kamada and Jefferson Lerma turned the contest on its head. Glasner appeared shaken and likely bemused as to how his side found themselves behind, yet as he walked along the touchline at the start of the second half, he was once again met with warm applause from sections of the home crowd.
His mood would not have improved, though, as Palace ultimately secured all three points. Pino wrapped up the victory in the 59th minute following some poor Forest defending. Chris Wood later had an opportunity to set up a grandstand finish, but he was unable to convert a good headed chance, meaning the final ten minutes proved far more comfortable for the home side than they might otherwise have been.
At that stage, Glasner could not entirely avoid a little light-hearted teasing from the home supporters, who enjoyed chants of “Glasner, what’s the score?” and “You’re getting sacked in the morning”. All of it was taken in good humour during his post-match press conference, where he acknowledged the irony of the chants and expressed appreciation for the support he had received from both sets of fans.
At full-time, he walked onto the pitch and, like Munoz, embraced every Palace player whilst sharing a brief word with each of them. He eventually made his way over to applaud the remaining Forest supporters before turning his attention to the Palace fans who had shown him nothing but appreciation throughout the afternoon.
He received a warm serenade from the Arthur Wait Stand before returning to acknowledge the Holmesdale and Main Stand once more. There was no animosity or bad blood, just genuine respect emanating from all sides. In truth, that was exactly how it should have been.
Sage rightly enjoyed the majority of the celebrations, but Glasner still had his deserved moment. Now, his successor can continue building upon the foundations he left behind, beginning with Palace’s first-ever Europa League away fixture on Thursday night against Lyon in eastern France.
Although it is difficult to support Forest or wish much success upon a club run by Marinakis, I personally hope Glasner continues to enjoy an excellent managerial career. Judging by the reception he received on his return to Selhurst Park, it seems the vast majority of Palace supporters feel exactly the same way.
