Guardian Glasner has drive and nous to steer Palace clear of danger

IN HIS first days as Eintracht Frankfurt manager, Oliver Glasner was stopped in the street by an elderly woman, who said to him passionately: “Take good care of my beloved Eintracht, won’t you?”

- Dom Smith

Glasner remembered this brief exchange throughout his two-year stint at the club, and when he left his post in May, he recounted the story, adding: “I think I did what the woman said.”

That, in essence, is why Crystal Palace have turned to Glasner. With Roy Hodgson having stepped down, Palace hope to embark on a new era of sustainable growth.

Chairman Steve Parish and the rest of the Palace hierarchy decided on the Austrian after interviewing a number of candidates. Originally intended to join in the summer, Glasner takes the reins earlier than intended, but there is optimism over what he can achieve.

Just as at Frankfurt, they hope his drive, intensity and tactical nous can make him the ideal custodian.