‘Result is not what we wanted’ – games pile up for Palace

Palace was eliminated from the Conference League, which is third-tier competition in Europe, after its frustrating 2-2 draw with Finnish champions KuPS on Thursday.

After finishing 10th in the table, the Eagles will need to play additional games on February 19 and February 26 to qualify for the knockout stages.

Due to the tight turnaround, Boss Oliver Glasner selected a team with under-strength players who were stacked with fringe and academy players.

Glasner’s attention turned to Leeds United’ Premier League game on Saturday as soon as the referee blew the final whistle at Selhurst Park.

A Carabao Cup quarter-final at Arsenal on Tuesday following two first-team games in 48 hours will follow, and Palace, who were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League due to ownership regulations, will now face two more European games in the new year.

Palace could close the season with 68 games played in all competitions, including the Community Shield, having qualified for the Conference League play-off round in August, which was held prior to the league phase.

After Thursday’s game, Glasner commented, “With the demotion, we got the play-offs in August and we got the play-offs in February.”

“We did not want the outcome,” the result. We could have easily won this game.

The atmosphere at Palace is still upbeat despite missing out on a spot in the last-16.

On January 10, the Eagles kick off their FA Cup defense against non-league Macclesfield, and former England defender Joleon Lescott thinks Glasner will be able to use his fringe and youth players to help him balance competing both at home and abroad.

Maybe they can play in those games and give some of the more experienced players a break, Lescott said to TNT Sports. “They’ve got Macclesfield away in the FA Cup and the play-offs in this competition.

Joel Drakes-Thomas, 16, Dean Benamar, 17, and George King, 18, did not look out of place in their senior debuts against KuPS.

Selhurst Park still has a sense of uncertainty, despite this.

The Palace hierarchy is beginning to worry more about losing a manager whose stock has recently increased as he nears the end of his six months on the job.

Since March, there hasn’t been much to suggest the 51-year-old Austrian, who was responsible for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Europa League triumph in 2021-22, is close to signing a new contract.

Indeed, Glasner once said, “I don’t think one second about my future.” Right now, it’s not significant.

On January 16th, Palace will reveal who will defeat them in the knockout phase play-off.

The Eagles will face either of the teams that placed 23rd or 24th because the draw is seeded.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, they are now on the verge of facing Czech Republic international Zrinjski Mostar or Sigma Olomouc.

For Palace fans to begin booking hotels and flights to the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, especially after failing to automatically advance to the knockout stage, it’s a little too soon.

The final takes place on May 27, 15 days before the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America officially begins.

If Palace wants to become the third English club to win the third-tier competition in Europe, which only started in 2021-22, they still have nine games to go through.

After West Ham won it in 2022-23, Chelsea did so in 2024-25.

Under Jose Mourinho, Roma won the first final in 2021-22, while Olympiakos won in 2023-24.

Both Leicester City (2021-22) and Aston Villa (2024-25) have advanced to the semi-finals, despite West Ham and Chelsea going all the way.

When asked about his memories of last May’s FA Cup triumph over Manchester City, the south London club’s first major trophy, Glasner responded, “We have Crystal Palace supporters for 60 years who never saw us win anything.”

In the end, it’s about these emotions, which I see when we’re discussing it.

“When you marry or when your children are born, everything is the same.” These events endure forever.