‘We’re being abandoned’ – Oliver Glasner hits out at Crystal Palace hierarchy for ‘selling our captain’ as Marc Guehi closes in on Man City move

Palace did not make a substitution during Saturday’s game, with Glasner saying there were “just kids” on the bench and evidently frustrated about the lack of backing in the transfer market.

However, following Saturday’s defeat, he failed to rule out an even earlier departure.

“The players gave everything they could,” Glasner told Sky Sports. “You’ve seen we made no substitutions, look at the bench, just kids there in our attack.

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“I said before that we feel like we are being abandoned completely. Selling our captain one day before a game. Completely no understanding for this.

“We are preparing, and yesterday at 10:30 am, I get told our captain will be sold. Why not next week? At least he can play this game, and next week, other players are coming back. That makes me really upset today.”

He added: “One day before a game coming here to Sunderland, we know we are not in the best run, we know the situation with no players available and we are selling our captain.

“Completely no understanding. No team would do this. I’ve seen other teams’ players play and the next day they are leaving. We are selling the day before.”

Glasner guided Palace to their first major trophy last season, winning the FA Cup in May, which ultimately secured them a spot in the UEFA Conference League.

But tensions between the 51-year-old and the club’s hierarchy had already emerged by the summer, with Glasner frustrated by the lack of signings, particularly after the sale of their star player Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.

And while European football was seen as a significant milestone for the club, the combination of extra games and a lack of depth has proved difficult for Glasner to cope with.

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“If your heart gets torn out twice a year with Eze one day before a game in the summer and your captain one day before a game, I just don’t understand it,” Glasner continued.

“I’ve been in football for more than 30 years, and I’ve never experienced (this) once, and now it happens twice in six or seven months.

“I think that is where we are now. We are playing for weeks now with 12 and 13 players from our squad. Some players have played their 35th game now, and I think we played 60 minutes well here, then we were 15-20 minutes under pressure, and we conceded a goal.

“The players tried everything but again couldn’t give them any support from the bench and that makes it so tough. Because the players are leaving their heart on the pitch.

“We are fighting and it’s not too easy to play here, and for all the circumstances I think the team has done exceptionally well, but again we don’t feel supported.”

After a positive start to the campaign, the London side are now enduring a torrid run of results, without a win in their last 10 games in all competitions and their last seven in the league, leaving them in 13th.

After confirming he would be leaving Selhurst Park at the end of the season, Glasner said he “doesn’t know” if he will make it that far if he is not backed in the window.

He continued: “As I mentioned, I have a huge appreciation for this group of players, completely trust them.

“Their character is exceptional. And so we will stick together and get this turned around.

“I will never step back because these players deserve to have Oliver Glasner as their manager and their leader. And this is what I will do. But again, sometimes it would help if we have a little bit of support.”