Oliver Glasner has found success at Palace. But will he fall into the Thomas Frank trap?

Oliver Glasner will be a sought after candidate for managerial jobs this summer. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenOliver Glasner will be a sought after candidate for managerial jobs this summer. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty ImagesCrystal PalaceOliver Glasner has found success at Palace. But will he fall into the Thomas Frank trap?The Crystal Palace manager delivered the club’s first major trophy and could add a European title this season. But a bigger team will present fresh challengesMohamed MohamedTue 28 Apr 2026 07.37 EDTLast modified on Tue 28 Apr 2026 09.45 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleWhen Oliver Glasner took over from Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace in February 2024, the club was in a desperate situation. The lack of an identity and coherent strategy at all levels soured Hodgson’s tenure. Transfers that hadn’t worked out, injuries, and lackluster tactics meant they were only a few points above the relegation zone.Glasner helped spark a revival. Not only did he preside over a return to mid-table stability, he also helped deliver memories through cup success that will live on with Palace fans for years. His achievements at Selhurst Park make him one of the most intriguing managerial free agents when he leaves his post at the end of the season, although he is not without his faults.Perhaps the simplest argument in favor of Glasner is that at every stop he’s had tangible success. He led Wolfsburg to Europa League qualification in 2020, then went a step further in 2021 securing a place in the Champions League after the club finished fourth in the Bundesliga. Glasner’s first season at Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22 saw them finish an underwhelming 11th in the Bundesliga, but that was offset by the club winning the Europa League. In his second season they improved to seventh in the league and made it to the round of 16 in the Champions League.The positive trend continued with Palace. It would require a freakish series of results this season for the club to be relegated, and they have finished mid-table in the other two campaigns Glasner has been at the club. More holistic attempts at quantifying team strength, such as Scout Lab’s Pi Rating, have them above average over a calendar year. That is no small feat given their wage bill was 16th-highest as recently as 2023-24, via Swiss Ramble. He also delivered a memorable victory last season when Palace lifted the FA Cup, the first major trophy in the club’s history. This season could deliver another trophy with Palace in the semi-finals of the Uefa Conference League. It makes for a solid resume.It’s not just what Glasner has won that makes him an attractive candidate though. He has a clear game model, which prioritizes attacking with speed. When Palace were at their best earlier in the season, they were able to settle in a mid-block with a narrow front-three to dissuade central progression, and utilize situational jumps from the midfield and backline to create turnovers. Metrics which look at style of play, such as direct speed and sequence time from Opta Analyst, have them as one of the most direct sides in the Premier League.There are caveats though. When Glasner was with Wolfsburg, he clashed with the club’s managing director, Jörg Schmadtke, over transfer policy, an argument which spilled into public. The same issues cropped up when he was at Frankfurt, where he made repeated outbursts during press conferences. That volatility was one of the…

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