Conference League trip 'a critical moment for the season'
· Yahoo Sports
If Crystal Palace's victory at the Amex appeared to be the team getting back on track after a long winless run, then Wednesday's collapse against Burnley amounted to being signal failure at the very least.
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You would expect any team to take three points from the position of being 2-0 up so early in the game, especially against a relegation candidate, and a win would have nestled the team happily in mid-table.
The reaction to the result was visceral. That was partly down to the scars of such a poor run of late and also the fact that Oliver Glasner's lame-duck status - regardless of people's individual view of the manager - does bleed into the thinking of plenty of fans.
Perhaps in this situation, ignorance would be bliss. Not knowing for sure that he is leaving at the end of the season would keep the focus on the present, whereas now any defeat or substandard performance is more likely to raise questions of his own motivation or his influence over the changing room.
Suddenly, that disastrous 10-minute spell against Burnley has cost the team more than just points.
Even if those opinions don't carry much water, you can see a situation where the pressure continues to mount until it isn't viable any more for the club. Which brings us on to Zrinjski Mostar, Thursday's European opponents.
Away from the Premier League and an almost must-win fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, the allure of winning the Conference League is probably underpinning the remainder of Glasner's time at Palace.
Only a few hundred fans will be travelling to Bosnia-Herzegovina this week, but it will be a critical moment for the season.
For as long as the team can stay in the competition, there are always greener pastures just over the horizon, with a vision of ending the season with yet another trophy.
Without that, it will be hard to keep making the case for the Austrian manager, even though we may want to.
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