Oliver Glasner says it is clear Crystal Palace need reinforcements in the January transfer window after former Eagles manager Alan Pardew urged the board to back the Austrian.
Palace lost 1-0 to Tottenham at Selhurst Park on Sunday, their third straight Premier League defeat. Archie Gray’s goal made the difference, but Palace were once again let down by poor finishing.
It’s a familiar story for the south London club, who have scored goals with ease in this season’s Premier League but failed to capitalize on their chances.
Crystal Palace have the worst difference between xG generation and goals scored, while Tottenham have the best
Glasner’s side have had the biggest difference in xG in the top flight this season, scoring 8.4 fewer goals than their xG would suggest in the Premier League this season, scoring 21 goals from 29.4xG.
Palace are also struggling with the likes of Ismaila Sarr, Daniel Muñoz and Daichi Kamata missing due to international duty or injury.
Asked if he was confident Palace would thrive in the transfer market, Glasner put the ball firmly in the board’s court to offer a solution in January.
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Free to watch: Premier League highlights of Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham Hotspur
“Honestly, if you look at today’s game, it’s clear what we need,” Glasner told reporters.
“Then it’s Crystal Palace’s decision. If you’re consistently underperforming in terms of scoring goals, all we can do is encourage the players, support them and be positive.”
“I can’t blame anyone for missing the chance, but now we have to accept that the team lacked some decisiveness.
“It seems that we cannot replace Ismaila Sarr, Daniel Muñoz and Daichi Kamata, who are often involved in our goals.
“But on the other hand, we want to be back next week, so right now it’s about supporting all the players.
“You can see the way we play, the structure, the chances we create. The pattern is working.
“Right now I’m really supporting the players to get back their confidence that they can score more goals.
“My feeling is that the closer you get to the goal, the more nervous you become in your decision-making.”
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Justin Devenney missed a ‘golden chance’ to equalize in Crystal Palace’s Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur
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Maxence Lacroix missed Crystal Palace’s chance against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League
Purdue: Sign player to keep Glasner with club
Pardew has backed the current Palace manager and suggested the Eagles need to back Glasner, whose contract at Selhurst Park expires in the summer, if they intend to keep him long-term.
“Managers have those situations,” Pardew said on Super Sunday. “He says, ‘We want more players.’ His contract expires in the summer and it’s probably more important than anything to keep him at the club. He’s done a very good job.”
“If I were the board, I would want to feed him one or two players.
“And Marc Guehi is out of contract in the summer, but he could sign a pre-contract in January. Given the board they have, the American ownership, I think there is money available. Whether they can get over the line and hit the target is another question. January is always difficult.”
Hughes: It’s not the energy that’s the problem, it’s the end.
Palace lose to Spurs, slump to third consecutive Premier League loss
Palace midfielder Will Hughes has hit back at suggestions that Palace’s poor form is due to fatigue. The FA Cup holders have had to deal with a hectic festive schedule this month, competing in the League, Conference League and Carabao Cup.
The list of fixtures will grow further in the new year with the FA Cup and two additional play-offs in Europe to qualify for the last 16 of the Conference League. Palace also have six players in the top 13 who have played the most minutes across all competitions in the Premier League, more than any other team.
Asked if fatigue was to blame for their recent slump, Hughes told Sky Sports: “It has nothing to do with energy or fatigue. We’re going through one of those stages right now, which every team goes through, where you’re creating chances but not putting the ball in the back of the net.”
“Unfortunately, we are in that situation now. We are creating chances and that is the most important thing. The next step is to put the ball in the back of the net and the result will be different.”
What plans do Crystal Palace have for the January transfer window?
The transfer window will reopen on Thursday 1 January. Read here as Sky Sports explains Crystal Palace’s plans for the transfer window.
Let’s take a deep dive into the potential new and departed players and see which players enter the final six months of their tenure at Selhurst Park.
