How Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win kickstarted the club’s downfall

Rewind to last May and a sunny afternoon at Wembley Stadium, football felt good again.

Crystal Palace had won the FA Cup, beating Manchester City and it was a victory embraced by many neutrals. Palace were a feel-good team, and it felt like something special was being built.

Manager Oliver Glasner had implemented a style of play which would cause trouble for any Premier League side, especially the so-called ‘Big Six’, while the vast array of homegrown talent with the likes of Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze proved that you don’t need swathes of cash to be successful.

However, fast forward to the present day, and that FA Cup glow has been extinguished. 

What was supposed to be the start of something special for Palace has instead signalled their downfall both on and off the pitch.

Guehi transfer drama sees Palace return to role as feeder club

Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

Unfortunately, in the Premier League, there are several clubs which once they perform well, have their star assets picked off by those at the top of the table.

Palace are no different.

After Eze made the move to Arsenal, Palace fans were hoping this would be the only major name departing Selhurst Park. Instead, the Eagles got wrapped up in Deadline Day drama last summer with club captain and central defender Guehi on the brink of a move to Liverpool.

Everything was agreed with a farewell video from Guehi already recorded by Guehi, but in the closing hours, the deal fell through after manager Glasner refused to let him go until Palace found a replacement.

This incident was the start of cracks beginning to form between Glasner and chairman Steve Parish, who, in the past, has soured relationships with managers due to his transfer policy of building promising talents before letting them go for huge fees.

While Guehi remained professional and continued playing for the club, a dark cloud hung over the club, and Glasner’s efforts to keep Guehi for at least another season have been all for nothing after it was confirmed on Friday that he will be leaving the club before the end of the January transfer window.

However, this time, he would be swapping the red of Liverpool for the sky blue of Manchester City.

But surely this disappointing news could not be topped, cue a major announcement from Glasner.

Glasner confirms summer exit and sours relationship with Palace hierarchy

After a team wins a major trophy and qualifies for Europe for the first time in their history, a manager will want to build on this success and cement their squad as a formidable force.

That was the mentality from Glasner after winning the FA Cup with Palace. If he was given the right backing, he would more than likely stay at Selhurst Park and continue the work he started.

Instead, it has fallen apart. He made no secret that he was beginning to lose his temper with those in charge of footballing decisions and it’s something he is accustomed to.

Previous managerial tenures at Wolfsburg and Frankfurt were overshadowed by a breakdown in the relationship with the respective sporting directors when it came to taking the two Bundesliga clubs forward.

• Read next | Three replacements for Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner after confirming summer exit

At Friday’s press conference before Palace’s 2-1 loss to Sunderland, Glasner’s actions were a sign of a man who was done with his employers, announcing that he would be leaving at the end of the season, and he even revealed that it was a decision which had been made in October.

That was not the end of Glasner’s bombshells. In his post-Sunderland debrief, he launched an attack on Palace’s board, claiming that his team was “abandoned”. To those observing, it looked like Glasner was following a similar path to Ruben Amorim, making outlandish comments to get himself sacked and leave what he believes is a sinking ship.

Since then, The Athletic has reported that Glasner will remain in charge until the end of the season, but this stance is simply papering over the cracks. The damage has already been done.

What does the future hold for Palace and Glasner for the rest of season?

Palace are still in the hunt for one trophy in the form of the UEFA Conference League, but after his recent outburst and losing a key player in Guehi, will Glasner be motivated enough to bring more silverware to south London?

It’s clear the Austrian is a powder keg, and at any time when the team comes up short, do not be surprised if he decides to fire more shots at his superiors.

The FA Cup win felt like a huge moment for Palace. No longer were they a club which failed to capitalise on the immense talent in their squad. The Eagles had become a force to be reckoned with and the future looked bright.

However, Palace reverted to type. Losing star players and now their most successful manager, this feeling is too common amongst Palace fans as the club once more failed to build and stand their ground against the Premier League’s big boys.

The world’s oldest cup competition is usually a beacon of joy for those who lift the trophy at Wembley, but for Palace, it has subsequently brought pain and misery.

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