Crystal Palace's Uncertain Future After Managerial Change

Crystal Palace fans were dealt a bitter blow in July when manager Oliver Glasner left the club to join Nottingham Forest. The Austrian's departure has left a void in the team, and his replacement, Pierre Sage, has a tough task ahead to build on the success of his predecessor.

Glasner's departure has left Palace's defence without a natural leader, and replacing the France defender Maxence Lacroix will be crucial to determining how they fare. Daichi Kamada's decision to sign a new one-year contract rather than follow Glasner out of the door means that eight of the players who started in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last year remain at the club.

The tricky bit will be holding on to the likes of Daniel Muñoz, Adam Wharton, and Ismaïla Sarr until the window closes, with Muñoz attracting interest from Saudi Arabia. Spending around £80m on Jørgen Strand Larsen and Brennan Johnson in January looks even more mistaken after agreeing a deal with Everton to swap the latter for Dwight McNeil seven months later.

Off-field picture

To everyone's great relief, work finally started on the new main stand at Selhurst Park this summer almost a decade after the plans were first announced. Expected to cost at least £150m and be completed by late 2028 or early 2029, it will increase the capacity of Selhurst Park to 34,000. Yet the financial strain of a much-needed project has complicated matters off the pitch, with Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and Woody Johnson reportedly keen to sell their combined 79% stakes despite Palace's recent success.

Owner-fan relationship

Having stepped in to help rescue Palace from administration in 2010, lifelong supporter Steve Parish has been instrumental in establishing the club in the Premier League and will always be remembered for leading them to a first major piece of silverware. But that doesn't mean he is exempt from criticism and there are many fans who blame the 61-year-old for failing to keep hold of Glasner after not strengthening the squad sufficiently last summer after their FA Cup success.

The manager

Sage worked wonders at Lens last season in only his second senior post as a manager, guiding them to second place in Ligue 1 before winning the Coupe de France. He has a tough task ahead to build on the success of his predecessor and strengthen the squad to compete in the Premier League.