Inside Crystal Palace: three things Oliver Glasner has changed to save his job

There is no denying the fact that the win against Tottenham saved the manager's job. Palace were staring down the barrel, and the pressure was mounting by the minute. David Moyes and even former Brighton manager Graham Potter had been mentioned, but that win against Spurs, who came into the match as heavy favorites, bought him time.

Every top manager has a period where doubts arise, and people begin to question their future. Even those who support him put the overall interest of the club above him, trying to make sense of the situation. But as fate would have it, since that win, there has been another confidence-boosting victory against Aston Villa and a gutsy draw against fellow strugglers Wolves.

So, ahead of the weekend game against Fulham, here are three things the manager has changed to try and secure the win:

Mateta gets the call to lead the line

It was always going to be a tough call. Here you have a striker who scored 16 goals last season, and a new signing who came in for £30 million. You don't pay that kind of money and put the player on the bench, so it made sense that Glasner tried to accommodate both his in-form striker and his big-money signing in the same team.

It didn't work, and now he’s stuck to what works, keeping Mateta as the main man, while Eddie Nketiah takes his time to find his rhythm.

Finally agreeing to Adam Wharton operation

When Adam Wharton arrived from Blackburn, not many people expected him to make such an impact. He excelled so much that he was considered a potential replacement for Rodri at Manchester City and even pushed players out of the England squad for the Euros.

That’s a huge achievement, but this season, he hasn’t been the same player. Injury has meant he's been playing through pain, and the slow start meant they couldn’t afford to leave him out. However, taking him out of the lineup and ensuring he gets proper treatment has been key, as the team has looked solid in the middle without a half-fit player.

Getting Ismaïla Sarr in the starting team

After 10 games, Sarr has yet to find the back of the net, but he’s never been a prolific scorer. What he is, though, is a traditional winger who loves to take on his man and put in crosses. In many ways, he's similar to Jesus Navas, who used to play for Manchester City.

That pace was key against Tottenham and against Wolves. It’s taking time, but he’s won over the manager and is now starting regularly. It will be interesting to see how they perform against Fulham next.