Henderson calls for calm as pressure mounts on Glassner after Conference League draw

Crystal Palace captain Dean Henderson called for unity after some supporters turned on head coach Oliver Glassner following the club’s 1-1 draw with Zrinski Mostar in the first leg of Conference League Europe playoff.

The Eagles have now won just one of their last 15 games in all competitions, a difficult run that has overshadowed the second anniversary of Glassner’s appointment.

Despite enjoying considerable success during his time at Selhurst Park – including FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs and a record unbeaten run – frustration among the traveling fans was clear in Bosnia as chants of « sacked in the morning » were heard throughout.

Ismaila Sarr gave Palace the lead two minutes before the break, but they struggled to control the game after that and were punished when Carlo Abramovich fired past Henderson to keep the tie level ahead of the second leg in south London.

Henderson, who recently took over the captaincy following the departure of Mark Guehi, called for calm and insisted the team still believed they could progress.

He told TNT Sports: « It’s about keeping spirits high. We’ve been in tough times before and come out the other end. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, so we have to rally around each other.

« The team spirit is growing. Now we have new players and new energy, which is good. We have to play with more confidence and not let the doom and gloom get to us.

« It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be handed to us just like that. We can’t just expect to show up and win three, 4-0. It’s that simple. We’ve got to learn from it. »

The game itself could have been even worse for Palace, with Zrinski briefly believing there was a late penalty after an alleged handball by Daniel Munoz, only for referee Manfredas Lukyankoukas to overturn the decision following a VAR review for a foul earlier in the period.

Glassner admitted he was disappointed with the way his side had let control slip away.

He said: “I’m a bit disappointed because after controlling the game we gave away the momentum too easily through our own mistakes.

« That made it harder than it should have been. It’s level at half time and we have to raise our level. Zrinski didn’t surprise us, they played as we expected, very organized and physical. I expect a similar game in the second leg with deep block and transitions. »