'Abandoned' or 'business' - was Glasner right to 'attack' Palace owners?

After a humiliating FA Cup defeat by non-league Macclesfield last weekend, Crystal Palace fans would have been forgiven for thinking their season couldn't get much worse.

But Friday's news that captain Marc Guehi would be joining Manchester City for £20m and manager Oliver Glasner confirming he would be leaving the club at the end of the season provided proof that it could.

If Palace fans thought Glasner - who last season masterminded the club's first FA Cup triumph - would enjoy his final months at Selhurst Park, those hopes were all but extinguished on Saturday when he said he feels his squad are being "abandoned completely" by the club's hierarchy.

BBC Sport understands there are no immediate plans to sack Glasner, although both Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney said on Saturday's Match of the Day they saw no way he could continue in charge.

Here, BBC Sport looks at the reasons behind Glasner's explosive comments and whether he was right or wrong to make them.

Glasner's frustration stems from Palace's decision to sell England international Guehi a day before the Premier League fixture at Sunderland.

The Austrian said he had spent the full week preparing for the trip to the Stadium of Light with the defender in his plans, until he was informed on Friday morning that Palace had agreed a deal with City for his transfer.

"I feel we are being abandoned completely," he told BBC Match of the Day.

"We have 12, 13 players from the squad available and we feel no support.

"The worst thing is selling our captain one day before playing a Premier League game."

Glasner compared the situation to when Palace sold talisman Eberechi Eze to Arsenal at the start of Premier League season, admitting that both situations have left him feeling like the club's heart had been "torn out".

After winning the FA Cup last season and subsequently qualifying for Europe's Conference League competition, Glasner has made several public pleas for Palace to bolster their squad to be able to compete on multiple fronts.

But after spending less than £30m on four players last summer, it is clear his pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

Glasner - whose side have not won a Premier League game since 7 December - named two goalkeepers and a number of academy players on the bench for the 2-1 defeat at Sunderland.

European football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Is it right of Glasner to come out like this and be so critical of his own boss? It is not the first time he has had a go at [co-owner Steve] Parish and the board.

"I don't think any manager at any level would be happy if, on a Friday morning, someone from his club came in and said 'your captain and arguably your best player can't play in the league because we have just sold him to Manchester City'.

"The problem is not so much that Eze and Guehi have gone. They've not been replaced. Palace in this league will be the feeder for the bigger clubs."

In the summer, Parish spoke about the difficulties of denying Guehi a £35m transfer to Premier League champions Liverpool.

At the halfway stage of the season, Palace are out of of both the FA Cup and League Cup but, despite having won just one of their past eight games in the Premier League, are on course to stay in the top flight for a 14th season.

In the Conference League, Palace face Zrinjski Mostar in a two-legged play-off tie next month.

It means, the south London club could play just 18 games between now and the end of the season.

In Parish's eyes, the decision to cash in on Guehi now makes sense.

Former England striker Alan Shearer agrees.

"I get his frustration but then again you look at Crystal Palace as a business," he said on Match of the Day. "They would lose a really good player for nothing in the summer so to get £20m now I get that."

Wrexham and former Wolves defender Connor Coady said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't like what he has done.

"Seeing them talk against each other, I don't think it is the right look for Crystal Palace.

"Palace have to sell Guehi. Palace are not Manchester City. I played in Europe with Wolves with a super small squad. We never moaned, we cracked on. That is just life."

It is not the first time Palace have sold a highly sought after player, with Michael Olise, Wilfried Zaha, Yannick Bolasie and, of course, Eze all departing the club for hefty fees during Parish's tenure.

"The evolution of football clubs is that, unfortunately, your best players move on to better clubs that are competing in the Champions League and European football," said former England captain Steph Houghton.

"You've got Adam Wharton and Jean-Phillipe Mateta, who could be the next major big names that could be moved – but that's all down to Glasner."

Ex-Manchester City defender Nedum Onouha, added on BBC Radio 5 Live: "In today's world, maybe this is just Palace's identity - they will sign younger players and look to sell the others.

"Glasner has done an incredible job, back him - but maybe that is not the way that Palace operate. Is Glasner in the wrong for expecting that, when in reality that is who the club are?"

If there was ever an example of a football manager appearing to actively seek the sack then look no further than Glasner's post-match remarks on Saturday.

Crystal Palace had just lost 2-1 at Sunderland to stretch their winless run to 10 matches and Glasner, who was informed a little over 24 hours prior that captain Guehi was being sold to Manchester City for £20m, launched into an astonishing tirade in which he accused the club of "abandoning" the team.

Glasner will argue his divisive comments represent his honestly held views.

But others closer to the club are suspicious of the genuine motives behind Glasner's outburst amid a feeling it was designed to leave chairman Parish with no other option but to sack the Austrian.

Glasner has already confirmed he is leaving Selhurst Park at the end of the season when his contract expires and with around, according to sources, £2m still left on his current deal to be paid it would conceivably suit the coach to ride off into the sunset immediately with a pay-off.

If forcing his premature departure was really Glasner's intention then it has not worked with Palace refusing to make a knee-jerk reaction.

After internal conversations, Palace expect Glasner to continue in his role until the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.

The talks since the loss to Sunderland have centred around what the club can do as a collective to improve their current poor form.

It seems that if club and manager are to part ways before the summer then Glasner will have to resign and thus waive any termination package.

Similarly, we should also not discount that Palace would be due compensation if another club decide to make a move to appoint Glasner between now and the end of the season as a factor.

For instance, Tottenham are considering making a managerial change as a result of Thomas Frank's underwhelming performance since his appointment in June.

Glasner held talks with Tottenham before the club's eventual decision to appoint Ange Postecoglou in 2023.

With that in mind, Palace would be owed compensation if Spurs look to appoint Glasner to any potential vacancy.

But for now, no matter how dysfunctional this all appears, it is business as usual at Selhurst Park.