GLASNER OUT? CRYSTAL PALACE CONSIDERING IMMEDIATE EXIT FOR BOSS AFTER DISMAL EUROPEAN DRAW
Oliver Glasner’s exit is imminent! Discover why Robbie Keane has emerged as the favorite to lead Crystal Palace out of crisis.
Oliver Glasner was supposed to stick around at Crystal Palace until the end of the season. That was the plan, anyway. But after another rough run of results, his exit could come a lot sooner.
Thursday night in Bosnia should’ve been nothing special, just a routine first leg against a team Palace should handle easily, with the real test back at Selhurst Park next week. Instead, a 1-1 draw against Zrinjski Mostar turned into another mess in a season that’s gotten uglier by the week for Glasner and Palace.
The travelling fans didn’t hide how they felt.
Palace have only managed one win in their last 15 games. That’s not a blip; it’s a full-on collapse, and it looks like Glasner’s time might be up even faster than everyone thought.
People at the top of the club have started openly asking if letting Glasner finish out his contract is actually hurting more than helping. He said back in January that he’d leave when his deal was up in the summer, but with results falling off a cliff and morale at rock bottom, those discussions have picked up speed.
Word is, Palace have already started looking for Glasner’s replacement, planning for a summer hire. But now, it looks like they might bring in his successor right away.
One name has shot straight to the top of the list: Robbie Keane.
TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook says Palace are considering Keane as a short-term fix if Glasner goes before the season ends. Keane’s reputation has soared lately. He won the Israeli Premier League with Maccabi Tel Aviv, then took the Hungarian league title in his first season at Ferencváros.
His win rate at Maccabi was over 73 per cent. He’s also done time as an assistant coach at Leeds and Middlesbrough. People who’ve played for him, like Ireland’s Callum O’Dowda, rave about him. O’Dowda said, “As soon as he opens his mouth, you want to listen. It’s phenomenal, really. On the coaching side,e he has been good.”
For now, Keane is still in charge at Ferencvaros, who are still in the Europa League, so prying him away won’t be simple.
Palace sit 13th in the Premier League, eight points clear of the relegation zone, but that gap feels less safe with every week they fail to win.
Tottenham even considered Keane as an interim manager before they went with Igor Tudor.
BREAKING: WEST HAM TO BLOCK ALL SUMMER OFFERS FOR BOWEN, SUMMERVILLE, AND FERNANDES
West Ham United will refuse all summer bids for Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, and Mateus Fernandes if they avoid relegation.
West Ham United aren’t letting Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville, or Jarrod Bowen go this summer. If they stay in the Premier League, they’ll shut down every approach for these three. That’s the plan, and right now, the club’s survival looks more likely than it did earlier this season.
With only four games left, West Ham’s future is still in its hands. They've picked up 16 points from the last ten games, which is a big turnaround compared to the rough start their fans had to sit through. Heading into Saturday against Brentford, West Ham sit two points above Tottenham in 18th place, although Spurs have a better goal difference.
Most of this improvement comes from their forward line. Bowen’s been his usual self, leading up front, Summerville has found some real form, and Fernandes shines in midfield. Together, the trio valued at a combined £160 million have racked up 30 goals and assists this season. That’s over 70% of the team’s attacking output. Their impact is huge, and inside the club, everyone knows it; they’re considered absolutely key.
If West Ham stay up, they’ll back manager Nuno Espirito Santo in the transfer market, and keeping those three is a big part of that. Selling isn’t on the table.
Bowen remains one of the club’s best, and both Liverpool and Spurs are interested in the £60 million England international. Summerville’s been on Tottenham’s radar since January, and they’re still watching him, assuming they stay up themselves. Besides Villa and Everton wanting Summerville, clubs like AC Milan and Marseille are also paying attention.
Then there’s Fernandes. Since arriving from Southampton last summer, he’s become one of Europe’s hottest young prospects, especially after Lucas Paqueta left. At 21, he’s already posted eight goal involvements: five goals and three assists, and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and PSG are watching him, and Liverpool especially have been told he’s “the real deal", as good as PSG’s top players.
But West Ham aren’t budging. People close to the club confirm these three are vital for long-term plans, and they want to build around them, not break up a partnership that’s got them back on track.
Everything comes down to staying in the Premier League, though. If West Ham manages it, they'll use every resource to hold onto their stars and keep Nuno’s core together. If they drop to the Championship, money talks, and that could force them to sell all three, something that would sting as badly as losing Declan Rice to Arsenal last year.
LEEDS UNITED REVIVAL: HOW DANIEL FARKE MASTERED APRIL TO SECURE PREMIER LEAGUE SAFETY
Leeds United eye a double award win as Farke and Okafor make the April shortlists. Read the full story on their survival surge.
Daniel Farke has really had a standout April at Elland Road. The Leeds United manager is up for the Premier League Manager of the Month award after a string of impressive results.
Farke dragged Leeds closer to Premier League survival, and honestly, you can’t ignore their form lately. Leeds managed back-to-back wins for the first time this season, beating Manchester United and Wolves. Then they grabbed a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. That win at Old Trafford? Huge. Leeds hadn’t won there in the league since 1981. They bagged seven points out of nine in April and hit the magic 40-point mark, so now they're just one win away from securing another year in the top flight.
This hot streak earned Farke a spot on April’s seven-man Manager of the Month shortlist. It’s not just him, though. West Ham’s Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest’s Vitor Pereira made the list too, both pulling in seven points from three games. Manchester City and Liverpool cleaned up with perfect records in April, so their managers, Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot, got nominations as well. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler round out the shortlist.
Leeds could pull off a double celebration this month. Noah Okafor, Farke’s go-to attacker, is up for Player of the Month. Okafor scored both goals against Manchester United and then added a goal and an assist against Wolves. He’s been everywhere for Leeds in April.
Farke’s looking to hit another milestone on Friday night. If Leeds beat Burnley, they’ll move up to 43 points. And get this: No team has ever been relegated from the Premier League with that tally in a 20-team season.
On Thursday, Farke said, “We’ve shown the desire lately. We want to keep going, focusing on every game. There are 12 more points out there, and we’re really motivated to get another win.”
One more victory would ease the nerves; it’s just way better not having to sweat it out on the final day. Leeds face Burnley next, who just named Mike Jackson interim manager after parting ways with Scott Parker. The Clarets were officially relegated after last week’s loss to Manchester City, and, honestly, they’ve only managed four league wins all season.
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