A range of variables will shape Crystal Palace‘s summer transfer window.
Should Oliver Glasner lead the Eagles to the Conference League title, their third trophy since winning the FA Cup last year, then they will earn a place in next year’s Europa League proper.
Their market pull will be greater, as will their hopes of retaining first-team stars such as Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix.
One certainty that the Selhurst Park have heading into the summer is that Glasner will not be at the helm next season. Who replaces the title-winning coach is a tricky one, but it appears Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola fronts the shortlist.
The latest on Crystal Palace’s manager hunt
Steve Parish and the Crystal Palace superiors do have the benefit of time in their bid to replace Glasner, who unilaterally declared in January that he would not extend his contract at Selhurst Park.
And while there is an acceptance that the Eagles may need to drift away from Glasner’s particular tactical approach, a return to defensive, deep-low-block kind of football is not desired. It is for that reason that Iraola is at the top of the shortlist.
Though managers such as Sean Dyche and Thomas Frank are on the club’s radar, if they fail to appoint Iraola, they may want to fall back onto a coach with a similar skillset.
And they could find the perfect man in Robbie Keane, who has found success at the helm of Ferencvaros in Hungary and who has already been at the centre of internal discussions in the Palace head offices following Glasner’s winter announcement.
Keane was a leading contender to replace Igor Tudor at Tottenham Hotspur, but now that the relegation-threatened side have appointed Roberto De Zerbi, Palace could have a clear shot.
Why Keane would be perfect for Palace
Keane was a devastating Premier League forward back in his day, and he has carried that mentality into his coaching career, placing emphasis on front-footed football.
He typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, but he is not wedded to that style, playing a three-man backline on occasion. In this, he has shown that he has the vision to draw away from Glasner’s brand in south London, though he could still adapt to different situations with a system many Eagles player will understand.
The fact that Keane has maintained strong results on the domestic front as well as out in Europe this season bespeaks his potential to succeed at a high-performing Premier League side like Palace, juggling different duties and looking to break the hegemony at the top of the division, emulate the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle and find a place in the Champions League.
It’s a big dream, but Glasner has taught Palace to dream big, and Keane could take his place as the project manager fit to lead the outfit for many years.
He is not Iraola, but all coaches start somewhere and Keane has demonstrated the potential to become a top Premier League manager, someone who in a few years might have the same clamour for his signature as the Spaniard does right now.
Ferencvaros’ Stats This Season (by comp)
Competition
Points
PPM
Hungarian NB1
50
1.92
Europa League
21
1.75
UCL Qualifying
13
2.17
Hungarian Kupa
12
3.00
Iraola will not manage Bournemouth next season, and if Palace can win the Conference League and secure a place in next year’s second-tier continental competition, they might just have a case.
However, we can’t hide from the fact that the Spaniard will have no shortage of options, and considering that, Keane could be the perfect fallback.
Keane is only at the start of his managerial career, but there’s no question that he’s got something as a coach, having, after all, won championships with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel before securing the Hungarian top-flight title with Ferencvaros last year. His outfit are neck-and-neck with Gyor for this term’s prize (their rivals are three points ahead having played one extra game).
In that, he could emulate Glasner, who won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt before moving to England.
With Crystal Palace hoping to keep their position as title challengers across different fronts, Keane could be the perfect appointment to make, should Iraola prove unattainable, as may well be the case.
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