Oliver Glasner would have cashed out if he could.
The plan could hardly have gone better but the initiative had been lost, and the momentum suddenly belonged to Manchester City.
He tweaked and tinkered, trying to reinforce midfield to regain control at the expense of Jean-Philippe Mateta and later conceded it had been a mistake because Crystal Palace never looked like reversing the City spree without an outlet up front.
And so, having led 2-0, they conceded five in 46 minutes, starting with the goal by Kevin De Bruyne from a free-kick awarded for a particularly silly tackle by Daichi Kamada.
Glasner’s instinct, though, had been correct, if that was any consolation. He detected a problem and did something rather than nothing, and his admission of regret was honest and his status among the Palace faithful is secure.
For them the Austrian can do no wrong after just over a year in south London. Finishing 10th last season is about as good as it gets for Palace, who have not come in any higher since Ian Wright and Mark Bright up front.
Oliver Glasner can do no wrong at Crystal Palace and his status among supporters is secure
Palace’s plan could hardly have gone better but Glasner’s tactical tinkering did not work
He detected an issue and acted rather than doing nothing. His admission of regret was honest
This season, he recovered from a poor start, leading them away from peril in a fabulous range of alpine knitwear, and into the familiar comfort of mid-table and a winnable FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, a team they thumped 4-1 in February.
An achievement which sparked debate over where Glasner ranks in the pantheon of Palace bosses.
Already above Roy Hodgson and Terry Venables seemed to be the consensus, with an outside chance of ousting legend Steve Coppell if he brings home the FA Cup. That’s recency bias for you.
Or perhaps just a desperate urge to show appreciation, because his work at Selhurst Park is attracting admirers.
Bayern Munich came sniffing around before settling on Vincent Kompany last year, and now there is interest from Leipzig, who sacked Marco Rose last month.
Tottenham like the look of Glasner, too, according to reports in German paper Bild last week, and all of this raises several questions. One of them: Have Spurs been watching Palace? Because they have more than a hint of an Antonio Conte team to them: wonderfully organised with three centre backs and dynamic wing backs.
They are not concerned about dominating a game. They had nine touches in City’s penalty area on Saturday. But they have a compact defensive shape and break with a delicious menace, just like Conte’s teams. Like Conte’s Spurs. The Spurs before Ange Postecoglou came in under orders to change the style of play and make it fun again.
Anyway, another question: Will Glasner cash out?
His work at Selhurst Park is attracting admirers with RB Leipzig and Tottenham linked
Ange Postecoglou came in under orders to change Spurs’ style of play and make it fun again
Timing is everything in this business as he will know perfectly well having won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022 and left after a poor start to his third season
Managerial stock can fall in the space of a 12-game winless run. Just ask Patrick Vieira
Timing is everything in this business as he will know perfectly well having won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, finished runners-up in the German Cup a year later, and left after a poor start to his third season.
Attractive job offers and chances to step onto the next rung of the pay ladder only come in good times. Perhaps the question should be: Why should he stay?
Managerial stock can fall in the space of a 12-game winless run. Just ask Patrick Vieira.
A year ago, few managerial shortlists did not include Kieran McKenna. Chelsea, Brighton and Manchester United all liked the look of the young coach who led Ipswich from League One to the Premier League playing an attractive style of football.
McKenna is the same coach. You could argue wiser for his first Premier League experience, albeit a season spent fighting a losing battle. Except now he can be found in no such conversations.
Andoni Iraola, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank have all ebbed and flowed as the flavour of the month, results altering perceptions despite the remarkable jobs they are all doing.
In Frank’s case nearly seven years performing miracles on the smallest Premier League budget. And, while Nuno Espirito Santo could win manager of the year, Tottenham have been there and tried that.
At one o’clock on Saturday, however, two up at the Etihad Stadium and looking for all the world as if his team could stretch their lead, it was Glasner firmly on trend. Crystal Palace want him to stay but why should he?
Glasner’s sides are compact defensively spring out on the break with a delicious menace
It will be tricky to convince Glasner they can somehow stop Eberechi Eze (pictured), Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi all going the same way as Michael Olise this summer
Football, ever fickle. There really is no loyalty. Glasner will have to trust his instinct
Even with a new deal with improved terms on the table, it is tricky to convince him they can somehow stop Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi all going the same way as Michael Olise. And that the club can still recruit shrewdly without sporting director Dougie Freedman, who quit last month for Saudi Arabia.
Without their sparkle, what is there to stop Glasner stumbling down the same path as Vieira, the last manager to lead Palace into an FA Cup semi-final then sacked within a year?
Football, ever fickle. There really is no loyalty. He will have to trust his instinct.
FIVE THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK
1. Matheus Cunha, back after serving his second ban of the season for behaving like a petulant toddler, wanted it to be known he is following ‘his dream’ and ‘not yours’. At least he did until some Wolves fans took offence, at which point the message was deleted. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, before dreaming about the undeniably gifted Brazilian signing for your club in the summer.
2. Sheffield United’s Tyrese Campbell has hit double figures for goals for the first time in his career and Charlton’s Tyreece Campbell is in pursuit. His winner at Cambridge was his ninth this season and a recent form surge has had scouts flocking, convinced the 21-year-old is destined to play higher than League One even if Charlton don’t.
It is worth bearing in mind Matheus Cunha’s now-deleted message before signing him
Scouts are flocking after Charlton striker Tyreece Campbell scored his ninth of the season
3. It was billed as Survival Saturday in League Two and survival instinct kicked in as the bottom four collided. Tranmere fought from three down at Accrington to equalise in the 101st minute. Carlisle won 2-0 at Morecambe to climb off the bottom. But the Cumbrians remain six adrift with four to play and face leaders Port Vale next. It might be a good time for Mark Hughes to reach for the Jimmy Glass book of escapology.
4. Ollie Pearce is the first player to 30 league goals. A hat-trick for York in a 7-2 win against Wembley-bound Aldershot means the 29-year-old non-league goal machine is the only player in the top five tiers with more goals than Mo Salah.
5. If Manchester City and Aston Villa win their semi-finals, the FA Cup finalists will match the FA Youth Cup finalists for the first time. Holders City joined Villa in this year’s Youth Cup final by winning at Watford on Thursday. Matty Warhurst scored the game’s only goal, and sources tell me Watford ‘keeper Sam Morris was the real star.
