Oliver Glasner hits out at "passive" Crystal Palace as the Eagles collapse once again

Crystal Palace once again concede late as they drop points at home to Luton. Oliver Glasner provides his post-match thoughts.

Oliver Glasner hits out at "passive" Crystal Palace as the Eagles collapse once again
Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images.
bmanzi
By Bobby Manzi

Crystal Palace once again dropped points in the dying seconds of a game as they hosted Luton Town at Selhurst Park. 

Palace opened the scoring after eleven minutes with Jean-Phillipe Mateta putting the Eagles ahead.

The South London club were pretty dominant in the first half but failed to double their lead. 

Missed chances came back to bite Palace as a whole host of opportunities to put the game to bed in the second half went abegging.

The Hatters punished Palace in the 96th-minute as Andros Townsend whipped a wicked delivery into the box that Cauley Woodrow nodded past Sam Johnstone.

  • Passive Palace

Glasner expressed his disappointment as Palace once again hit self-destruct and switched off with seconds to play. The Eagles have now conceded ten goals in the 90th-minute or later this season, the most of any Premier League side.

“We are all disappointed at the end concede a goal in the 96th minute,"  he said. 

"I think we deserved to win the game because the players did really well for almost all the game."

Palace missed numerous chances to double their lead with 21 shots and an xG (Expected goals) of 2.5. 

"We had a lot of opportunities and we had to decide the game when it was possible to decide it, which we didn’t."

Glasner acknowledged that he wasn't worried heading into the closing stages of the game with his side having a strong amount of control at Selhurst Park. However, he admitted that they became subdued costing themselves all three points. 

"When I saw the six minutes added on it was not that we were under pressure, we played most of extra time in Luton’s half, but in one situation we became passive and went back, and back, and back, and we conceded the goal. 

"We will analyse why we were passive in this situation. It was our mistake in this situation that we didn’t push more pressure.

"It’s not important if it's 96th, 92nd or 1st minute.”

  • Townsend haunts Palace

Former Palace man Andros Townsend set up Luton's equaliser brilliantly with a beautiful cross launched into the Palace box dispatched by Woodrow. Oliver Glasner admitted that it was poor from his Palace side. 

"We were afraid, and then we went back and gave Townsend time to give the ball to his left foot and deliver the ball. But, at the moment when Townsend got the ball, no Luton player was in a position where they could score.

"But, I think, after 5–6 seconds, we didn’t get pressure on the ball, and when he delivers the ball, they’re in the box with five or six players, and then it's difficult to defend."

The Palace boss continued by criticising the weak defending that led to Luton's equaliser. 

"So, at that moment, we have to be brave, go out, and put pressure on the ball. If he passes to the corner, great for us, as there is no goal. So this is what we have to improve, and we will do it because at all my clubs we’ve had the same situations."

  • A tough one to take

Glasner was seeking back-to-back home wins as Palace manager after taking over from Roy Hodgson almost three weeks ago. The Palace boss revealed today's result was a tough one to take. 

“It hurts — it really hurts today — but sometimes you have to feel this to develop and learn from it, and we will learn from it to be active and keep the opposite team out of our box until the referee ends the game.”