Every word from Glasner and Guéhi’s pre-FA Cup final press conference
The FA Cup final is under 24 hours away (Saturday, 17th May, 16:30 BST) and Oliver Glasner and captain Marc Guéhi were both in the hot-seat for the pre-match press conference.
On the significance of the FA Cup
OG: Oh, yes, we feel it. It feels like more than a normal game. There's much more attention and much more interviews to do during the week but our preparation was more or less the same as in the Premier League games and before the semi-final or the quarter-final and all the other games.
We focused on what we want to do tomorrow at Wembley. We analysed Manchester City, but 90% of the time we were talking about us - because this is what we can influence, we can influence our performance, we can influence what we want to do in and out of possession and so the focus was on our game.
Also we just made one or two small adjustments, because the players especially did very well in the last couple of weeks and so we're up with a lot of confidence and looking forward to the final.
On Manchester City themselves
MG: Have they slipped off? They’re in another final! So I don't know.
We all know how good Manchester City are and their quality. Like the manager said, we're all focused on ourselves, focused on doing the best we can for the fans and trying to make history.
On the wait for Silverware
OG: You can ask me after the game. I don't talk about this... We haven't won anything yet.
We have a great game in front of us, but I won't talk about ‘if this happens, if that happens, if this happens.’ So, when it happens, then we can talk about it.
We have a great game and we feel well prepared for this game and as Marc said: we will give our best, every single one of us, as long as they’re playing, or even if they're not playing, and supporting the team.
This is what we can do. This is the only thing we can do and then let's see, but, of course, this is the same approach. It was the same before the semi-final, before the quarters and even when we played Stockport.
We had the same approach: we’ll go to the pitch, show who we are, show how we want to play and try to win the game. This will be the same tomorrow. We play as Crystal Palace, with what made us successful and then let's see, because that’s football.
On previous encounters against Man City
OG: Yes, I do feel confident, but to be honest on the analysis screen - we win every single game! So when we prepare and analyse the other team, we always have the right solution. It's not so easy sometimes to execute it in the right way, because they are back in shape again.
They had very good results and performances in the last couple of weeks. Players coming back from injuries and also we don't know how they are going to play. Erling Haaland is back, but they have so many, especially in their offense, so many different players that they could play with.
Haaland and Omar Marmoush, two strikers. They can play with Savinho, Jérémy Doku, Jack Grealish as far wingers. Sometimes they didn't play with far wingers.
Sometimes they play asymmetric. So it's very variable and we always have to find the right solution. I think, yes, we know what they want to do and how we should react, but we're still confident that we can be able to score goals. It’s no secret. It's pretty clear.
Since we arrived, we've played them three times - in every single game, we scored two goals, but we just had one draw, because we conceded four, two and five.
We have to make a few adjustments in our defending, because when you concede five, it's tough to win, but when you score two - you should be able to win. So we have confidence that we will create our chances.
We will create our situations to score goals, but we have to do better in defence, and I don't mean the back three or the back five - I mean as a team, maybe we have to adjust a few things and this is what we want to do tomorrow.
On being underdogs and enjoying the moment
OG: Hopefully, yes, we all want to enjoy this moment, but I think the last couple of weeks we have been enjoying it. It's a great time for the club, it's a great time for every one of us, it's a great time for our fans.
Having such a successful period at the end of the season, and you're playing for silverware - that's not common. So yeah, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't enjoy it and also when I could see the players training, it was just great to watch them.
Nobody looked nervous, everybody was focused, but we were laughing, having fun together, because this is why we play football.
On giving the fans a trophy
MG: Yeah, the fans have been fantastic, not only this season, but every single season. They've always been behind the team, always been behind the club, and they’ve really shown their support. It'd be really nice for them to have this piece of silverware.
I think the most important thing is just always doing the best that I can for this football club. I come in every day and I try to be the same, I try to work hard, and this football club has given me a lot.
On the ‘magic of the FA Cup’
OG: Just have a look around! It's magic, I think. There's more cameras and journalists here than in the last months put together!
There's a lot of attention. We're playing in the biggest stadium in England in front of 90,000 people. There will be, I don't know, about 40,000 Crystal Palace fans, but when we play at home, we have maybe 22-23,000.
You can see, with their attention, with the capacity of the stadium, and then the national anthem is played before, and it's just something special.
I like this, and while we’re talking about it, because there is a pitch over there at the school, and the kids were playing there, and everybody wants to play a final at Wembley.
So we all are in this privileged situation that we can experience it, and it's just a lot of joy and positivity about this final.
On potentially lifting the FA Cup
OG: It will be heavy to carry, I think, I hope my back is good enough!
It's not just getting this trophy. Yes, this would be the reward for an outstanding FA Cup journey, but I think we shouldn't, I don't really think about the trophy.
I can remember a few years ago, there was a World Cup in Brazil, and it was the semi-final where the Brazilian players were crying during the national anthem, because of all these emotions that they wanted to give back their country and winning the World Cup at home.
This led to the lost 7-1 against Germany in the semi-final. I think we shouldn't feel pressure to bring silverware to Crystal Palace, because this never happened in the club's history, so we will give our best definitely, and I think this is what all our fans are appreciating throughout the season - that in every single game we give our best, and we had some heavy defeats at City, at Newcastle.
But, our fans appreciated that the players gave their best, and this is our mindset tomorrow. Together with our fans, it's possible, and we can expect that they will see that every single one of the players gives his best, and we can expect that we will see that our fans give their best to support us. It's football, so many things can happen, but we want to do it our way.
We will do it our way, and I think then we have the best chances to win the final, but I think Man City will do the same, this is why 90,000 will watch at Wembley, and I don't know, millions in front of the TV, because nobody knows the result. But we feel ready to win it.
On how much the game means…
OG: I don't know. If something happens for the first time in your life, then maybe it means more to you than when you have it every single year.
City, I don't know, how many trophies they have won, how many finals they have played, so definitely more than Crystal Palace has. For the players, for the manager, for a club, winning a trophy, winning a title, it's always something great in a season.
So I don't expect that they will wave the white flag and then say, ‘OK, it's the first title for Crystal Palace, you should get it.’ So I think they will fight to win it.
On how up the players are for the final...
MG: I think they're really aware of how up for it we are. The manager has mentioned the process, that's training, that's the preparation, and that's just focusing on the game.
Not focusing on the trophy or anything else, but making sure that when we go out there, we're ourselves, we enjoy the occasion, and we stay focused when we do the best that we can.
I'm not sure if it's the most talented side ever. We've had so many amazing and great players at this football club, and that's a credit to the football club, that's a credit to the scouting and all the departments upstairs making the right decisions.
I'd say it would be a combination of all the effort that every single person has put in at this football club, not just this season, but previous seasons, credit to the players that have helped the club stay in the Premier League and help build it and allow it to be where it is today.
So, yeah, it'd be a big thing for everyone, not just this team, but for every single person that has played a part in Crystal Palace.
Match Details
Crystal Palace v Manchester City
- Saturday, 17th May
- 16:30 BST
- FA Cup Final
- Wembley Stadium
- Live audio commentary on Palace TV+