It was February 15, 2024 and there was a sense of sadness, dissatisfaction and chaos on the Crystal Palace training ground.
Roy Hodgson appeared on the verge of losing his job. The results had been nosed and the fans were angry. Their club lacked running in the field and there was any of it. Oliver Glasner was lined up to stop the season by heading towards a removal scrap.
Somewhat surprisingly, Hodgson was still determined to hold a pre-hearing press conference before their next match against other Everton fighters.
However, as the gathered journalists gathered outside the club’s Beckenham base, something else was being created. Staying out of the gates, the news broke that the audience with Hodgson had withdrawn with just over half an hour.
The former England manager was ill during the morning training session. He was on the way to the hospital on a day where his second season at the club seemed to be cut.
Hodgson was quickly in a stable condition in the hospital and confirmed that he would withdraw a few days later. Glasner’s appointment – initially planned for summer – confirmed and a difficult chapter was closed.
Four hundred and fifty -eight days later, the direction is as clear as the style of the game. The eagles are in Wembley and the Austrians are potentially 90 minutes away from bringing them to their first FA cup.
The journey has not been without its bumps. It took the palace until the end of October to secure their first victory this season. And it was just last month that they received 10 goals in two games while the wheels seemed to be decided to fall from a promising campaign.
But the general travel line has seen a team that progresses on purpose.
For so long, just as a football team, Palace felt difficult to love from the outside. Football was quite heartless, but they always did enough to keep themselves out of trouble. This in itself is an achievement not to smell. But under Glasner they are offering much more.
There is much to like about this current palace outfit. Dean Henderson’s fist pumps, Daniel Munoz’s bubble goes down to the right, the deceived Eber Eze dribbles on the left, and Jean-Philippe Matthery Smashing Corner Flags. This is not mentioned the tranquility it brings from the classic Marc Guehi, the maturity and composition of Adam Wharton and the unpredictable splendor of Ismara Sarr.
These talented individuals were allowed to bloom under Glasner. They still have the opportunity to record the highest points of the Premier League palace with two matches left to play.
And as they went to this weekend, fans can of course be stuck and pessimistic from previous finals (remember Alan Pardew Dance?!), This manager will not be. It was just three years ago on Sunday that Glasner submitted the Europa League to Eintracht Frankfurt, with his team beating Rangers in the finals.
No doubt, there may be some scares they receive at Manchester City just weeks after a 5-2 hammering in Etihad. But Austrian remained weak in the minutes that followed a match in which the palace should have received a 3-0 advantage, but ended up accepting five unanswered goals: “I told Pep (Guardiola) after the game he could not play this system (again) because we will beat it.” A delicate reference for both sides potentially meet again in the final – before receiving the Champions League Aston Villa quarter -finalists in half!
Saying all this, the palace is clearly subjected. Man City have failed to hit their usual levels this season, but they are still a force that needs to be calculated and their record in local cup races under Guardiola is phenomenal. They have won the FA Cup twice under it and have reached at least the last four phase in each of the seven seasons. Chuck in five Premier League titles, a Champions League and four Carabao cups among other parts of silver. It is some that require eagles.
From a personal point of view, it has been a joy to talk to Glasner regularly and cover his 15 months in the club so far. He is a friendly human being, warm and completely good. After the smiles there is a harsh competitive belt. He is anxious and ruthless in his pursuit of progress. He gives a lot and requires a lot of players, staff and club.
It is easy to see why Bayern Munich was circulating when they watched to replace Thomas Tuchel last summer. It is not surprising that RB Leipzig has listed it to fill their free managerial role.
Which takes me to my last point.
The potential in this team and the manager is almost unlimited. But in reality, we will most likely prove the final repetition of this particular team of palaces. Most likely, they can lose two or three main players this summer. Maybe even their manager. It is inconceivable that they can hold all their stars. One day, maybe they can.
Maybe European football next season – the courtesy of victory on Saturday – would be enough for the likes of Guehi and Eze. Their performances in particular during the last two seasons demonstrate that they belong to the larger stages.
But this is in the future. Let’s live in now. Founded in 1861 on Saturday, Crystal Palace could experience their largest day.
Sky Sports to show 215 Live PL games from next season
From the next season, the Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 games to at least 215 matches exclusively live.
And 80 percent of all Premier League TV games next season are on Sky Sports.