It felt like Oliver Glasner was going to be there all evening. The throng of young supporters eagerly anticipating an autograph or a photograph with the Crystal Palace manager were rewarded as he stopped for each and every request in front of the lower Holmesdale stand.
Chadi Riad and Jordan Ayew handed their shirts away, while several other players stopped to sign autographs. Palace had just concluded their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw against FC Nantes, new arrival Daichi Kamada’s goal ensuring they ended it unbeaten.
There had been a 6-3 win over Crawley Town and a week in the United States, marked by 3-1 wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United. Those games saw the club claim rare silverware in the Stateside Cup.
On the face of it, then, a productive pre-season which should leave them well prepared for the new campaign. Yet with significant interest in their most important players, the outside perception is that Palace, having lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, are selling their prized assets and are vulnerable.
That is not quite the reality, but as we enter the opening week of the season, the summer has thrown up some interesting storylines.
What can we expect from the style of play this season?
Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, Dean Henderson and Adam Wharton made England’s Euro 2024 squad this summer. Joachim Andersen participated for Denmark at the tournament in Germany, while Daniel Munoz, Jefferson Lerma and Chris Richards represented Colombia and the USMNT respectively at Copa America.
Then there were Jean-Philippe Mateta and Olise, who won silver medals with France’s men’s team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Yet that group’s absence left Glasner with a thinner squad with which to conduct the early stages of pre-season training.
There have been no significant changes to the system in which the Austrian will set up his team, or what Glasner is looking for from his players. His primary demands are that his players run hard, fast and intelligently. The focus is on the collective, not any standout individuals, and selflessness is a crucial part of how his team must play.
“We had 20 players today on the pitch,” he said after a 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers during the week spent in the U.S. “We were playing with a lot of energy and that is what I really enjoyed.”
Glasner instructs his players as they beat West Ham in Tampa (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
He has set incredibly high standards and is very demanding of his players, but is rewarding when those standards are met and he has balanced tactical with fitness work.
“That’s the style of play — we want to be aggressive and be on the front foot,” said Joel Ward after the Crawley victory. “Everyone needs to be on the same page. We do that in the room looking at clips and we do that on the training pitch. You certainly get your running in in the games that we play and on the training pitch. I feel like we’re in a good place.”
The 3-4-2-1 formation which proved successful last season has been retained but, as always, Glasner’s focus is on the principles of play rather than the specific structure and formation.
Players who don’t play on a Saturday will train on a Sunday, with Glasner taking the session himself and supplementing the training squad with the best of the under-21s.
When it comes to continuity, however, there is one notable difference this time around. Olise’s departure means that, while Kamada and Ismaila Sarr have arrived, things will inevitably change. Neither of the new signings has the same inclination to manipulate the ball or desire to race down the flank to cut in and cross or shoot. Kamada is more subtle, and Sarr more direct.
The team will have to adapt without one of last year’s talismen.
Mateta and Olise were key to Palace’s resurgent end to last term (Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
So what has Glasner’s first pre-season looked like?
There have been plenty of games.
A training match against Sutton United had concluded the first week of training. Before the Crawley victory, there was also a 2-1 win behind closed doors against Bournemouth, with Kamada a standout performer, while Jesurun Rak-Sakyi scored a fine last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic.
On the tour of the U.S., for those who were not first choice against Wolves or the 3-1 win over West Ham United, there was another match against West Ham. That culminated in a 3-0 defeat, although Palace’s side contained several of the academy players who were taken on tour and they were confronting strong opponents.
The intention was to ensure a level of intensity was retained for the entire squad. That extended to the Nantes draw, secured after Kamada’s equaliser; for those not involved or who had only played cameos, there was a 30-minute training game on the pitch at Selhurst Park. The 19-year-old Franco Umeh headed in Palace’s only goal of that game.
Palace fielded a strong team against Nantes (Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
“I’m happy with how we created chances and how we scored the goals,” Glasner said after that Wolves victory. “But we always concede a goal.”
That trend continued against Nantes, meaning no clean sheet throughout pre-season.
“We can’t expect to always score two, three or four goals in every single game, so we have to be more consistent in our defending – and this will be the topic for the next few weeks,” added the manager.
Some youngsters were offered a chance to impress. Asher Agbinone, an 18-year-old forward, made an impression with a composed finish for Palace’s third goal against Wolves, while highly rated right-back Caleb Kporha enjoyed a positive tour after spending most of last season injured. In midfield, the 20-year-old Justin Devenny was another who caught the eye over the week-long trip. Good things are expected of him. Mofe Jemide, a centre-back who does not turn 18 until November, also had a strong week.
There has been a change of position for Umeh, who made the first-team bench in the 1-1 draw with Everton in February. He is seen as a potential back-up option by Glasner in the left wing-back position — Tyrick Mitchell is the only natural left-back or left wing-back in the senior setup — and that is where he has played throughout pre-season.
Matheus Franca, who has yet to make his mark at Palace, has missed all of pre-season through injury but is close to a return.
Glasner talks to his players during the draw with Charlton (Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)
Training under Glasner has always been intense. He pushes players to their limits, but knows when to ease off to avoid injuries. He has found a way to balance tactical and fitness sessions where previous managers leant heavily on one or the other.
His backroom staff have made a positive impression and the coaching team is seen as an extension of the manager to complement his methods. The coaches break things down; everything is meticulous and decision-making has continued to be a key focus.
“He demands and expects and pushes players to the limits,” says Ward. “What’s great is he gives you clear pictures, clear messages and a clear philosophy going forward.
“Once you get momentum and into a rhythm that becomes second nature. That’s key — we’re getting it as part of our subconscious to do certain things and certain triggers.”
The squad were given two days off after returning from their U.S. trip. Glasner waited until most of his international players returned on Wednesday, August 7 to focus more on the finer details. They have worked on tactical tweaks since.
What about Palace’s transfer business?
Things began in promising fashion. The arrivals of Riad from Real Betis for around £15million ($19.1m) and Kamada on a free transfer, after his Lazio contract expired, bolstered the squad early on.
But beneath the surface, there have been issues bubbling.
Riad in possession in Tampa (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Olise moved to Bayern Munich in a deal which earned Palace just shy of £50million. He had been eager to complete a move before the start of the Olympics and, while Chelsea were keen again after their failed attempt to sign him last summer, he had reservations over their project.
In the end, Bayern were the most accomplished club to come in for him. He goes into the new campaign with the enticing prospect of Champions League football ahead — a competition befitting his talent.
Ryan Sessegnon spent time on trial as a possible option to provide competition for Mitchell but Glasner had concerns about his injury history and believes he can successfully convert Umeh into a left wing-back instead.
There was serious consideration given to the 19-year-old forward Antonio Nusa from Club Brugge, but Palace chose not to pursue a deal. Sarr arrived from Marseille for a fee of €15million (£12.6m; $16.3m) on a five-year contract. The 26-year-old has been signed to compete and provide cover in the forward positions, rather than as an automatic starter, and he and Kamada will attempt to fill the void left behind by Olise.
That said, Palace will still be keen to add another forward to their squad, budget permitting.
Sarr came on against Nantes (Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
That leaves Rak-Sakyi likely to head out on loan to the Championship.
The 21-year-old had been coveted by Southampton and was impressed by manager Russell Martin’s sales pitch. The winger favoured a fresh start in a permanent departure, particularly if it was in the Premier League, but Palace’s preference has always been a loan. Southampton were proposing a loan with an option to buy significantly below a price which would tempt Palace into selling.
Lyon, whose owner John Textor is one of Palace’s four general partners, were keen on taking the winger. Yet Palace viewed Championship sides, including Leeds United, as a better option. The sale of Omari Hutchinson by Chelsea to Ipswich Town for around £20million set a benchmark as to Rak-Sakyi’s potential worth should he have a strong season in the second tier.
Alternatively, should he thrive in the second tier, he could convince Glasner he merits greater involvement back at Selhurst Park.
The winger is unsettled at Palace, having been disappointed not to be loaned out last term when injury and non-selection restricted him to just six substitute appearances in the Premier League. He is not alone. Naouirou Ahamada has fallen further down the pecking order in midfield after the arrival of Adam Wharton in January and now Cheick Doucoure’s return from an Achilles injury. He, too, would be keen to leave if there was sufficient interest from elsewhere.
The same applies to England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who has slipped behind Henderson in the pecking order, with Palace prepared to sanction his departure if they can find a suitable replacement and an acceptable offer is submitted.
Guehi is into the last two years of his contract (Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Yet there is also intrigue swirling around Palace’s first-team regulars, and that has drawn the focus.
Newcastle United have made multiple bids for centre-back Guehi, who has two years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2021 after joining from Chelsea. The most recent of those bids was for £55million with a further £5m in potential add-ons, falling short of the valuation placed on him by the Palace co-chairman Steve Parish.
Guehi, outstanding for England at Euro 2024, started Sunday’s game against Nantes.
Fulham surprisingly offered £20million for Guehi’s defensive partner Joachim Andersen, whose contract also runs to 2026, though that bid, too, falls well short of Palace’s valuation. Andersen, who spent a season on loan at Fulham in 2020-21, has been a mainstay of the Palace side since joining from Lyon.
Palace are also wary of late interest emerging in Eze, another who made a mark at Euro 2024, given there is a release clause in the contract he signed last season. They have not fielded bids for the player to date this summer. But throw in the fact Mateta has, at least for now, halted negotiations with Palace over a new contract with the two parties significantly apart — he has two years remaining with an option for a further year in the club’s favour — and the sense is of a mass exodus brewing.
The reality is rather different. Palace’s adopted transfer model may well see a sale facilitate further additions — that could equally see a squad player like Jordan Ayew or Jeffrey Schlupp depart — but Glasner’s squad will still be strong going into the new campaign. They have added to their defence and refreshed elements of the forward line.
What kind of shape are they in for the new season?
Well, there was silverware in the U.S. with Palace’s two victories seeing them win the Stateside Cup, and although pre-season results are not a barometer of success, an undefeated campaign can only be a positive in terms of building confidence.
Andersen holds the Stateside Cup (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
But Glasner’s concern about conceding goals is valid. Their draw with Nantes exposed some frailties in their decision-making and a failure to translate significant pressure and openings into clear-cut opportunities. That has been less of a problem under Glasner than previous managers, but still remains an issue.
The squad is in reasonable shape but, ahead of Sunday’s trip to Brentford, a few more arrivals would put Palace in a strong position to kick on from their 10th-placed finish last season.
(Top photo: Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
