16 January, 2026, may come to be known as "Black Friday" in south London, and not because of can't-miss discounts.
In one fell swoop, Crystal Palace have lost arguably their greatest-ever defender and will soon be without the manager who inspired them to FA Cup glory last season—the club's first piece of major silverware.
Oliver Glasner has had a profound effect on the Eagles, having succeeded Roy Hodgson in the Selhurst Park dugout almost two years ago. Palace ended the 2023/24 campaign in superb form, setting the stage for a historic season.
However, Glasner has now publicly declared that he won't be extending his stay beyond the summer, having disclosed his decision to chairman Steve Parish months ago. Marc Guéhi's switch to Manchester City may have been the catalyst for Glasner's announcement, with a misalignment in ambition and the Austrian's desire for something new the most likely factors in his decision.
Glasner will thus be available in the summer, and some Spurs supporters, having seen what he achieved south of the river, may be suckered into believing the 51-year-old is the right man to succeed Thomas Frank, who isn't too far away from getting the boot.
Would Oliver Glasner be a smart appointment if Tottenham sack Thomas Frank?
Glasner's body of work is undeniably impressive. He guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2022, having beaten Barcelona and West Ham United along the way. We've seen what he's been able to achieve at Palace, not only overseeing their FA Cup success, but also leading the club to their highest-ever Premier League points tally.
Some of the football they played during his first few months in charge was majestic, with Michael Olise working gloriously in unison with Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Despite losing Olise, Glasner was able to adapt and adjust, and his replacement, Ismaïla Sarr, slotted in seamlessly to the Austrian's front three, despite boasting a wildy different profile to the departed Frenchman.
He's a brilliant coach, but there's a ceiling on what Glasner can achieve at the highest level. While he wasn't helped by a poor summer window, that's been evident this season. Palace have been a tremendous counter-attacking unit under him and are tough outs for the Premier League's best, but trouble arises when teams are adept at blocking space and don't allow them to run amok in transition.
Glasner may well believe that he's worthy of a shot at the big time after two successful spells, but Tottenham should let Manchester United make the mistake of appointing him.
He's a master at ensuring middling clubs (you might argue that's exactly what Spurs are right now, mind) punch above their weight, but, similar to Frank, the 51-year-old will undoubtedly find himself at odds with the so-called "Tottenham Way", with the eventual demise of Antonio Conte, despite a healthy Premier League position, proving that this fanbase demands more than mere efficiency.
I just don't regard Glasner as a discernible upgrade on Frank.