GLASNER RESPONDS: MANAGER DENIES DISRESPECTING FANS AFTER "GLASNER FINISHED" BANNERS APPEAR AT SELHURST
Oliver Glasner speaks out! Discover why Palace fans held "Finished" banners and how the manager responded after the Wolves win.
Oliver Glasner insists he didn’t disrespect Crystal Palace fans, even after they held up a banner that read "Fans disrespected – Glasner finished” during the 1-0 win over Wolves at Selhurst Park.
The supporters also unfurled another banner, “Opportunities missed, board inept", making it clear they were upset after Glasner told fans to “be humble” when some turned on him during Thursday’s Conference League match against Zrinjski Mostar.
“There were a few boos, and there was a banner. That’s fine. I’ll always speak my mind and say what I believe. I don’t think I ever disrespected anyone,” Glasner said. “People who know me know I’ve got huge respect for everyone; it doesn't matter who they are, what their job is, their background, or anything.”
He gets why the fans are disappointed. He’s frustrated, too. Maybe even more than anyone else, he says, because he’s so ambitious and never satisfied. Glasner admits he might have pushed the players too hard, and he’s willing to take criticism for it.
“That’s fine. What matters is the fans supported the team; they helped us win,” he said. “If they feel disrespected, I’m sorry. I never meant it that way. Maybe I used the wrong words. But I won’t stop saying what I think is right. I tell my own kids all the time: stay humble, and remember where you come from. If anyone felt disrespected, I’m truly sorry. That’s never my intention.”
Glasner also said he’s had clear-the-air talks with the club’s board and that both the hierarchy and the players still back him to lead until the end of the season.
“If the club thinks someone else would get better results, I wouldn’t stand in the way. "That's what I wanted to say,” he explained. “If the players think a different manager would help them do better, I won’t stand in the way. In the end, it’s up to the players. But when I spoke to them, they said they’ve had the best two years of their careers, and they still believe in what we’re doing.
“The club feels the same. If they’d said, ‘We’re not convinced,’ then maybe it’d be time for a change. But that’s not the case. The club believes, the players believe. And of course, I always believe in this team.”
Crystal Palace finally picked up a Premier League home win, a first since November, and there’s some much-needed positivity. But let’s be honest, the banners at Selhurst Park showed that Glasner still has a long way to go to fix things with the fans.
That “fans disrespected – Glasner finished” banner said it all. The frustration is real, especially after Glasner told them to "be humble" following the backlash in Bosnia. He tried to clear the air after Sunday’s game, and while he apologised, his main point was that he doesn’t think he did anything wrong. He didn’t really back down.
Palace got the win, thanks to Evann Guessand’s late goal, but after a shaky performance and another tense press conference, it feels like this standoff between Glasner and the fans is far from over.
SUNDERLAND CONDEMNS "VILE" RACIST ABUSE AIMED AT BRIAN BROBBEY AFTER SPURS WIN
Brian Brobbey targeted online! Sunderland and the Premier League unite against "vile" discrimination after Spurs win.
Sunderland called out the racist abuse aimed at Brian Brobbey on social media and made it clear they stand fully behind him.
Brobbey was targeted online right after Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. On Monday, the club released a statement: “Sunderland condemns in the strongest possible terms the racist abuse directed at Brian Brobbey on social media following Sunday’s fixture against Tottenham. We stand firmly with Brian and offer him our full and unwavering support.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Sunderland players have had to deal with this kind of abuse this season. After February’s match against Fulham, Romaine Mundle received hateful messages online, and last month the Tyne-Wear derby had to be paused when someone in the crowd reportedly aimed abuse at Lutsharel Geertruida.
The club’s statement continued: “This isn’t an isolated event. The recent abuse aimed at Romaine Mundle and Lutsharel Geertruida shows just how often and how unacceptably this keeps happening, both at matches and on the internet. We’ve reported this latest incident to the Premier League, the social media platforms, and the police, and we expect them to act quickly against the people responsible. Racism is vile, and it doesn’t belong in football or anywhere else. We’ll keep calling it out, clearly and without hesitation, every time it happens. Football should be safe and welcoming for everyone, no exceptions.”
The Premier League is backing Brobbey as well. In a post on their X account, they said they’re “disgusted by the ongoing discrimination” players keep facing online. “We stand alongside Sunderland in strongly condemning the online racist abuse Brian Brobbey has received and have offered our full support to him and the club. We are disgusted by the ongoing discrimination players are facing on social media and are committed to working with clubs, authorities, law enforcement, and social media companies to address this issue, as well as supporting investigations to bring those responsible to justice.
Anyone found guilty of discrimination will face the toughest possible punishments: jail time, football bans, and even a criminal record.”
DAVID MOYES REVEALS "NERVES" AS EVERTON HUNT HISTORIC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION SPOT
David Moyes admits Everton's Champions League hunt is nerve-wracking. See the latest on the Toffees' battle for Europe.
David Moyes admits the idea of Everton making the Champions League this soon in their rebuild actually makes him “shake a wee bit.”
You look at the club now, and it's hard to believe where they were just 14 months ago. When Moyes returned, Everton looked beaten down from years of fighting to stay up. Suddenly, with only seven games left, they’re sitting eighth. That spot could mean Europa Conference League football, but after their win against Chelsea before the break, they’re now just three points off fourth. It’s wild to even talk about the Champions League, but it’s right there in reach.
Reporters put the question to him how does it feel to be this close? With Europe’s spots possibly extending down to fifth (or maybe even further, depending on how other English clubs do), Moyes wasn’t hiding his nerves: “It’s probably the best shot we’ve had in a long time. But when I hear ‘Champions League’? Makes me shake a wee bit, honestly. I’ve been lucky to manage in Europe’s other competitions lately, and if we do make it, I’m sure we’d be able to hold our own at certain stages. Still, the Champions League is just on another level.”
Everton’s next match at Brentford looks huge for their European dreams. Brentford beat them earlier in the season, and right now, both teams are level, separated only by goal difference.
Moyes is clearly enjoying this chapter. “Listen, Europe’s Europe. If someone had said at the start, ‘You’re going to get European football,’ we’d have snapped their hand off. It could be the tiddlywinks European cup, and we’d be up for it. Evertonians want the club back in those conversations. We’re getting attention for the new stadium, we’ve got a couple of England internationals getting noticed more, it’s a good time. If we do sneak into the Champions League, it’d be an unbelievable achievement. But honestly, no matter which competition we make, it’s still a big step forward for us.”
