Premier League football returns to Selhurst Park when Crystal Palace host West Ham United in a London derby this Saturday (24th August, 15:00 BST).
The Eagles suffered a narrow defeat on the opening weekend of the campaign at Brentford, but have won their last four matches in SE25 – and previous two home games against the Hammers.
Ahead of our first home game of the season, manager Oliver Glasner’s pre-match press conference saw a range of topics discussed – check out the key quotes below…
We’ve tried to focus on football. We analysed the game at Brentford and it was a clear message I think, and then we tried to transform it on the pitch.
It was quite noisy, I would say, and we tried to build a shield around us, but we're all human and of course you can't avoid it so that you don't hear this noise. It had a little bit of influence, but we’ve tried to focus on the pitch.
It never gets boring being a manager, so there are always different challenges and it's part of being a manager and it's part of leadership. Like always, it's talking; what I've mentioned very often is we try to speak to the players almost every day to get the information.
We are here to support them with their individual situations, but we are responsible for the team, and that's the most important message: we are here for the team.
Everybody gets our support from everyone, but at the end, it's important to perform for the team, to perform for Crystal Palace, and to win games.
In every club I worked it was the same, because we were very successful and then the club sold players.
With [Eintracht] Frankfurt, we won the Europa League. For example, [Filip] Kostić, who became Player of the Europa League that season, he left the club to Juventus Turin.
Then, we had to find a replacement and be successful as well. We could do it. This is why we always want to be prepared. This is why we have a fantastic scouting department with a Sporting Director.
If we always keep the whole team together, we don't need 10 scouts, because then we go with them for the next 10-15 years. In football, there are maybe five or six clubs in the world who can say ‘we don't sell’. All others, there is a point where they have to sell. At Crystal Palace, we are not one of the four or five clubs who can say ‘we don't sell at that point.’
[Marc Guéhi’s] talent and especially his mentality [stand out].
He's so hard-working, he's always trying to improve and he's always very self-critical – I think sometimes too self-critical! His talent and his attitude [are good].
They [the fans] are always very important.
We could feel it, especially at the end of the season, with our great results, with the great performances this togetherness from the first second. It will be very important tomorrow.
Especially when the sea is a little bit rough, then we need to stick together to support each other. I'm pretty sure that our fans feel it, that the team needs their support tomorrow. This will help the team to perform at their best level.
[I’ve only managed against Julen Lopetegui] in Tampa against West Ham in pre-season. All the successes speak for him. He's a great manager.
When we talk about West Ham, we can see that they look very ambitious. They spent a lot of money for many new players, for high-quality players. I know some, like [Niclas] Fullkrüg, a little bit better from Germany. T
hey brought in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who I think Crystal Palace know pretty well, and [Jean-Clair] Todibo, and [Crysencio] Summerville, and I think five others, because they have many, many good players now. I think it's also for them to find the team now, and this is what Julen is working on.
But yes, they have high-quality players, with Jarrod Bowen, with [Lucas] Paqueta, with [Mohammed] Kudus, with [Michael] Antonio, Fullkrug… in midfield and in defence, [Max] Kilman, they bought for, I don't know, 40 million.
Very good team, but it’s our first home game, with our supporters – that's what I can promise, we will do everything we have to get the win.
Palace defeated West Ham 5-2 in their last meeting, at Selhurst Park in April.
It was a fantastic [game], especially the first-half. We had our first 30 minutes with a lead of 4-0 . But also, they had a Thursday three days before when they lost in the Europa League. I think it was the quarter-finals at that moment and so, I think they were a little bit tired, physically and especially mentally. And it took them the first 30-40 minutes.
It looked like they were not ready for this game, whatever it is, and we were fantastic, playing great and scoring and scoring. We have very good memories, but it will be a different game.
There will be many different players on the pitch in a different mood, in different situations, a different manager there. So, it gives us a good feeling, but we have to perform on our best level.
We learned [in pre-season] we can beat them, but it's the same. There was no Aaron Wan-Bissaka, no [Guido] Rodriguez, no Fullkrüg, , no Bowen, no Paqueta. We played without [Jean-Philippe] Mateta, without [Ebere] Eze, without [Jefferson] Lerma, without [Daniel] Muñoz, without [Adam] Wharton, without [Marc] Guéhi, without [Ismaila] Sarr.
I think both teams missed many players, but we could see how they want to play. They could see how we want to play. We got some information, but it will be a different game.
Palace have won their last four home Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 16-2; they have not won five in a row since October 2001, and have never done so in the top-flight.
We'll give our best that the results [at Selhurst Park] continues.
But, it's the same what we always say: stay humble. I think it's also for our fans. We'll never forget where our roots are.
We have to build this togetherness again, this spirit, and not always the expectations that we lead 3-0 in half-time.
But, as I mentioned, I think our fans have a very good feeling for Crystal Palace, for our players. They appreciate if everybody gives his best. And then they also accept if maybe some things don't work as we all wish that they work.
This is what we need, this togetherness, this support regardless of how the game is going, because everybody will give his best tomorrow. This is what we can expect.
I remember when we started with a great win against Burnley, we had a very disappointing draw against Luton where we conceded the equaliser in the 96th minute, but the fans supported the team and they know: ‘OK, we go this pathway together and this is now the start for a long journey this season’.
This is the start. We start and the finish line is end of May – then, we will see. It's important to stay together for this long period.
