Every word from Glasner’s last pre-match press conference of the season
Oliver Glasner faced the media for the last time this season, ahead of our final-day clash against Premier League winners Liverpool on Sunday, 25th May (16:00 BST).
On the response of the players to winning the Cup...
Everybody looked good today in training, of course, we're in a great mood. Everybody's laughing and maybe we didn't have the highest intensity in training, but it's also a three-game week for us - with the final, with Tuesday [against Wolves].
Again, huge credit to the players for how they played. Afterwards we got the stats and we were running five kilometres more than Wolves and they had 10 days to rest. We had three days after the final!
We had no training, yet more sprinting, more high intensity. It just shows the attitude and the character of this group. We're very pleased with the performance and the result.
Now we want to show it again – our standard is to show it again at Anfield, we’re looking forward to this game.
I think when the Premier League winner meets the FA Cup winner, it's a great ending of the season. Also, big congratulations to Liverpool and Arne Slot for an amazing season and a well-deserved title. It will be a great atmosphere at Anfield.
On a staff trip to celebrate the Cup win...
The whole staff went [to Spain this week], yes. We were a group of more than 30 people. It was a kind of appreciation for the staff.
Also, a big thank you to everyone. Everybody does such a great job and is working so hard to support the players. Everybody is fit and available.
Also, we're always talking about the environment and we're talking about the spirit of the training ground. It's not the grass, it's not the building - it's the people who make the environment. The people make the mood.
We're doing such an amazing job and it's just a small kind of appreciation. Going there and enjoying the time together, a lovely time together, and then go back to work again.
… what happens in Ibiza stays in Ibiza!
On building on recent success...
If you have to wait 160 years for winning a trophy, and then you think from now we have to win it every year, then this is the wrong approach.
But yes, we want to improve step by step. I mentioned quite often, individually, as a team, as a club: it's a big chance for Crystal Palace now also to improve, because now it's the first time playing European football with a few challenges.
Not just in the squad: we don't have many players who played European football with their clubs, just a few. It's the same with the staff, it's the same with our organisation, planning all the international journeys.
It's a big chance that Crystal Palace makes the next step in their development. This is what everybody will give their best.
On getting the players motivated for the Wolves game...
I could talk, tell and chant, hug, shout or whatever. We all depend on the players, it's just their character, just their mindset.
I think this is the mindset that has developed over months now and very often we are talking about our standard.
Regardless, if we play Wolves, we play the FA Cup final, we play, with all due respect, the first FA Cup round against Stockport County: we want to show our football. We want to show what makes us successful.
We always want to play as a team and I think this was fantastic evidence.
I saw Eddie Nketiah score two goals and how everybody is celebrating with him. We have such an amazing spirit in the group.
It's the players who did it. So, maybe it helped that I told them a very terrible personal experience – in a very similar situation, we couldn't deal with it when I was a player, we lost 6-0, and I told them the next day was not a good day.
We want to extend this great mood here. The best is to keep winning, keep performing well. So, we will try it again and I'm really sure that everybody will give their best, then let's see how the game is going.
On whether or not this is his best-ever season...
No, I don't think so. I think it's maybe close to the best. I always think that we can do better.
So, maybe it's close to the best after round nine! I’m always thinking, if we could have reduced one or two mistakes in pre-season and one or two situations that happened in pre-season, then we could have done better.
We have three points after eight rounds, and then we have eight points after eight rounds. It's not really an amazing start, but there's five points more and then we are in the race for eighth and ninth.
I think these points that we lost at the beginning of the season, but especially the ones we could have avoided, we should avoid in the future.
We can't allow ourselves to lose too many points and make too many mistakes on our own, because the Premier League is just too good.
On preparing for Liverpool, who have already won the title...
Honestly, we don't prepare like we always have done, because the players had two days off as well after the Wolves game and I think they [Liverpool] had a celebration again, but well deserved.
The rest is the same, analysing Liverpool. How they played at the end of the season, everybody knows. I expect they'll play their strongest team in their last home game.
Great atmosphere, and we want to be the best and hardest opposition they can have, because this is what every fan expects.
Nobody wants to see a friendly where nobody is running anymore, everybody wants to see a very competitive game, a challenging game, with the best effort, and then we will have to accept the result. We will definitely play on our best level.
I think there's no chance to disturb their party, because Liverpool played such a brilliant season and then the last home game.
I think they have a few failures as well and it's the same for us. It's just not possible, but in the end, we will definitely try to win.
Match Details
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
- Sunday, 25th May
- 16:00 BST
- Anfield
- Sky Sports
- Live audio commentary on Palace TV+