Oliver Glasner hailed his Crystal Palace players' incredible run of recent form, ahead of a second London derby of the week – this time away at West Ham United on Saturday (20th September, 15:00 BST kick-off).
At his pre-match press conference in front of the world's media, the Palace Manager was queried on the historic feat his side have achieved: going 16 matches unbeaten in all competitions, a run which has surpassed any in the club's history.
Ahead of Saturday's Premier League game, he was also asked about the strengths and weaknesses of West Ham; his opposite number in Saturday's dugout, Graham Potter; and the recent form of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Daichi Kamada among others...
It’s incredible and outstanding what this group of players is doing
—Oliver Glasner
I told the players and I gave all the credit to them. They deserve all the credit because they have to perform on the pitch and they have to get these results. For me, it is incredible and outstanding what this group of players is doing.
There was all the noise when it started, when all of a sudden Ebs [Eze] didn't play against Fredrikstad and then at Villa we were winning, and then having the noise at the end of the window, and having the players not here to train together.
They always keep working, they always keep believing with a great work ethic and a great spirit in the group. These players deserve all the credit because they are the ones who are performing, regardless if we have to make a few changes, regardless if we have an injury, regardless if we have to make a sub after 20 minutes, like it was in the Community Shield.
Really, huge, huge credit to the players for this.
I think it's not just the unbeaten run In 2025, we have now had 32 games.I think we had 18 wins, 10 draws and four losses, so losing four of 32 in nine months… that's incredible for a Crystal Palace side, it's incredible for every single side. This is how this team is performing.
Again, it's them, with many different circumstances, big finals. Also, we had two heavy defeats within three days: at [Manchester] City and Newcastle. The rest is just two defeats.
We know when we play close to our top level as a team, not individually… also we know we can play better in the attack, we could be more efficient, bBut we know what we can rely on. Also, when you go, sometimes the stats tell you just part of the truth, not the whole truth. I think we conceded 28 goals in this 31 or 32 games. In two games [the defeats at City and Newcastle], we conceded 10.
That means in 30 games, we conceded 17 or 18 goals. This is our foundation. It's not too easy to score many goals against us. Of course, it's the back three. It's the goalkeeper, but you can see when Walter is in there, or with the wing-backs, we can change. It’s the whole team performance. They know exactly what to do.
The good thing is that we know that we can rely on the foundation. I think this is the reason for the run.
Today, the players are so self-critical and so ambitious. They're not pleased with their performances in the last games. You can say, ‘this we have to do better, this we have to do better, this we have to do better, this and this and this. I want to do this and this.’
It looks like we are not completely free at the moment. That's my view when I see how many good situations we have, especially in attack, and how many wrong decisions we took. All these players proved it so often that they can do this better. They put a little bit too much pressure on themselves. They know it and they want to score.
Even now, I said to them, today in the meeting, I don't know exactly, but I really believe it's the most successful period in Crystal Palace history. You are the ones. It's good to be ambitious, but I start with myself: I always want more and more and more, and winning and winning. We are unbeaten, but I said: ‘too many draws.’ It's my habit!
You always say the team is a mirror of their manager. I said: ‘okay, I have to relax a little bit. It's all on track.’
We need this freedom. We need this creativity, especially in our attack. We need formation, patterns, habits, reliability in our defence, but we need creativity. Creativity is also freedom. This is what we want to give them with all the ambition we have. Let's see if we find the right words. We will find the right words for tomorrow.
I think if somebody underestimates any opposition in the Premier League and in the regular league, you make the first mistake, and then you deserve to lose. If you underestimate your opposition, you don't bring the respect to them and then you deserve to lose. We never underestimate anyone.
I think the lowest league we played was Doncaster, a League Two side, and we respected them. This is the same with West Ham: so many good players, fantastic manager, great stadium there. I don't see any issue.
Just two weeks ago, 10 days ago, I don't know exactly, they won 3-0 at Nottingham Forest, after we drew against them. You could see the struggle against Tottenham with set-plays, but also they had a few good chances.
It's a very good side, a very good Premier League side. Just see how quick football is. One-and-a-half years ago, they won the Conference League, after 40 years, whatever. We played them with [Eintracht] Frankfurt in the semi-finals of the Europa League. They were sixth or seventh at the end of the season, so football is sometimes really crazy. But it's a very good side, great manager with huge respect.
We prepared very well in these three days, as good as we can. But we're looking forward to a great game on Saturday afternoon. Nice weather, players available, players are fit. We are in good shape, so then it will be a great Premier League game.
I was showing a few clips today to the players [from our 2-0 win at West Ham in January]. Graham Potter was already there, the style is similar. They mirrored us a little bit, so they played also in a 3-4-3, but now they've changed the last two games into a back four. We don't know exactly what they're doing tomorrow, but the way they are playing is very similar.
JP was maybe on his peak of last season. Sometimes when you come back into an environment where you feel comfortable and have good memories, this helps to get back into your best shape, and that's what we also hope for him and encouraged him.
You have a striker, maybe you have three or four games where you don't score, you miss a few chances, and then you have three or four games where… when he scored the first goal it wasn't the biggest chance, but he just scored and made a 40-yard run and then just took the right decision and kicked the ball into the bottom corner.
The second goal was excellently assisted and we defended very deeply, Eddie Nketiah made the run and we got the penalty and then JP could score the second.
Again, he has already three goals this season. It's all fine, and going to London Stadium with a good feeling.
He is adapted to Premier League football. I would like to quote my Chairman, when I was speaking about it: usually in England, everybody says ‘every new player needs about one season to get adapted to the Premier League’, and now we don't have the patience anymore! We think we get him in, and after two games he is adapted.
I think this happened with Daichi. You can see now with new players coming in from different leagues, they are struggling a little bit with the physicality, with the intensity. It's always talking about ‘what’s intensity?’ When you see the running data, it's no different to the other leagues, to Germany.
When you see now the Champions League games, it's not the difference, but it's the intensity of the duels. It's the referees letting the game run, no fouls. It means in many situations where you expect a foul… you can see many players who arrive in the Premier League, they lose the ball and they expect a foul. Then you see them sitting on the grass while the game is continuing.
Then you have to get used to it. You have to be stronger in the duels, or you have to find other solutions. If you're not the strongest one, play quicker, find quicker solutions. This is what happened with Daichi. He's such a great football player, such a technical player. He now finds quicker solutions.
He's not stronger than he was one year ago. He finds quicker solutions. He has now more confidence. He could see that he can compete at this level. At the beginning he had a lack of confidence, because he could see it doesn't really work what he was used to doing, he had to adapt his style.
The good players adapt. The good players develop. Then they show that they can play their role in the Premier League as well. This is what you can see with many, many, many players here.
This was Mo Salah. It was the first time in the Premier League. It was for Chelsea. It didn't really work out. Then he left the Premier League and came back. Now, in the last 10 years, he's one of the dominating players in the Premier League. It's not so easy.
I think that's the reason for Daichi as well.
West Ham United v Crystal Palace
