LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 24: manager Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace applauds fans during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Burnley FC at Selhurst Park on February 24, 2024 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Oliver Glasner has already changed one major thing that Roy Hodgson did at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner passed his first test at the club by winning his first Premier League match in charge, with the Austrian already implementing a host of changes at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace recorded a crucial victory over Burnley on Saturday to move away from the relegation zone, a 3-0 win that also stood for Oliver Glasner’s first game in charge of the Eagles.
There was a lot of anticipation going into the fixture, with the game being considered a must-win following Palace’s poor run of form, leaving them a few poor results away from being relegation candidates.
Luckily, the pressure was eased slightly on Saturday thanks to the dominant victory over Vincent Kompany’s side, giving fans lots to take away from Glasner’s first showing as manager.
What was evident in the win over Burnley in Oliver Glasner’s first game
The most prominent change that the Austrian has put into place is how he lines his side up, playing a 3-4-2-1 formation to utilise his full-backs and add emphasis to the front line.
It was clear how the Europa League-winning manager wanted his side to play, with Palace pressing tirelessly as well as putting together positive sequences of play in the final third.
The formation that he played with allowed his side to thrive going forward, with Jean-Philippe Mateta rarely in an isolated position as he often was due to the rigidness of the previous setup.
The changes that Oliver Glasner has already made at Crystal Palace
It’s not just changes on the pitch that the Austrian has introduced, with a column from The Athletic detailing that the manager has also changed the way his players train.
The Athletic explained how Glasner has ‘adjusted’ the days in which the squad reports to training, with a session immediately after the game noted on Sunday, with Monday as the designated day off this week.
Before the 49-year-old’s arrival, it was the other way around where the day after a game was given as a day off, giving the players another factor to adapt to and too, the opportunity to asses each game immediately.
Club captain Joel Ward explained that despite the understanding that things will ‘take time to implement’, the players are already seeing the difference that the boss is trying to make.
“It’s going to take time to implement things, but he’s tweaked bits here and there already — the shape, the way we come out and work together and different triggers, he’s given us guidance on how he wants to do things.”
The real test for the boss will be the next Premier League fixture against Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
