Saturday’s FA Cup final marks one of the most significant moments in Crystal Palace’s history. Not only is a first-ever major trophy within reach, but victory would also secure them European football next season.
Both would be remarkable achievements for Oliver Glasner in what is his first full season in charge.
On the latest episode of The Totally Football Show, stand-in host Matt Davies-Adams was joined by Palace fan Reuben Pinder, Natalie Gedra, Duncan Alexander and Liam Tharme to discuss the impact Glasner has made at the club in such a short space of time, and what it would mean for Palace if they were to go all the way.
Watch the discussion below.
A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on The Totally Football Show feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Matt Davies-Adams: Saturday at 4:30 is the FA Cup final between plucky underdogs and 1991 Zenith Data Systems Cup trophy winners Crystal Palace, and a Manchester City side so laden with silverware in recent years that they’ll surely take this if it’s on offer. But let’s not pretend this is a season-saving big deal or anything. The Athletic’s Reuben Pinder, a Palace fan, joins us in the studio. Reuben, you’ll be in attendance on Saturday, could you ever have imagined this would be a thing? Probably not since 2016 I’m guessing?
Reuben Pinder: Yeah 2016 was the last time we were there, but this one does feel very different. The semi-final was a really special performance with a special atmosphere. And going into the final, it does feel very different from last time. At the start of the season when we didn’t really win a game until late October, there’s no way we would have envisaged this exciting crescendo.
Davies-Adams: And it’s nice to head into Saturday coming off the back of a convincing win isn’t it? Albeit at Spurs, it’s still nice to go in off the back of the victory.
Pinder: Yeah 100 per cent. With these last few games of the season not much has really mattered in the league. There’s no chance of relegation, and it’s very difficult to surge through the table into the European places. So the FA Cup is our best chance of getting to Europe, and obviously a great chance of a first major trophy.
There’s been a temptation among the fans to maybe want more rotation in the league 11 as previous managers probably would have done. But Oliver Glasner has really stayed very focused on that momentum. Before the semi-final we had Arsenal midweek, and the focus among the fans was for nobody to get injured. Glasner played a very strong team and we got a 2-2 draw, which was really important after a sequence of bad results, including a 5-2 defeat to City. To maintain that momentum and avoid injuries has been really important. And even though Wharton did limp off against Nottingham Forest, the chat has been that he has a 90 per cent chance of being ready to play in the final, and he’ll be hugely important.
Natalie Gedra: It’s been a funny trajectory with Oliver Glasner at Palace hasn’t it? Because when he arrived at the club they started playing some exciting football, but then the season was over. And we were left thinking, ‘God, maybe they’re going to challenge for the top half of the Premier League’. Then the season started and it fell apart slightly, and no one understood it. But all of a sudden we’re here in May and they’re playing in the FA Cup final. Everybody talks about the change of mentality that Glasner brought to this club. Can you talk a bit about that?
Pinder: Yeah, he really has. The start of the season didn’t go to plan, but there were reasons for that. For example, (Jean-Philippe) Mateta was at the Olympics so maybe he came back a little bit late and not as fresh, and some signings also came in late. I remember when I went to Stamford Bridge at the start of the season, the back three was (Marc) Guehi in the middle, whereas he normally plays on the left. I think Clyne started on the right and Richards played on the Left. Now all three of those players are playing in different positions. So it felt like we were starting a bit late, and that was supposedly a trend among Glasner’s old teams.
The first few weeks of the season were a bit rocky and then it became smooth. So in that sense, the league position looks a bit false. But of course, those early weeks in a season do count as well, so you can’t make that excuse all the time. But the mentality that he’s installed has been really impressive compared to previous managers, and the unwavering belief of the players during that rocky spell was very clear as well.
Davies-Adams: It’s tantalising isn’t it though, Reuben? Palace’s first major trophy is potentially just 90 minutes away. Have the nerves kicked in yet, and what will it mean if you do get over the line?
Pinder: I’m trying not to think about it…
Davies-Adams: This is the best bit right? Because nothing’s gone wrong yet.
Pinder: Exactly. It does feel a little bit like when England get to finals, and it’s like, ‘Well if we win, then what?’ Because of the fact that we haven’t, the excitement and the tension is the best bit. And then it’s going to be 90 minutes of horrible nerves. But my friends who I sit with are just saying, ‘It’s all we can think about,’ while being distracted at their desks all the time.
But it’s going to be a long day so I’ll make sure to look after myself (laughs). But it would be incredible. There will be lots of tears if we win. I’m not expecting to win, but I think it’s a lot more evenly matched than the league table or history suggests in this one-off game. So I’m cautiously optimistic.
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(Top Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)