Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner deliberately avoided discussing transfer speculation surrounding striker Jean-Philippe Mateta following his team's 1-1 Premier League draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday.
Transfer Speculation Overshadows Match
Mateta was conspicuously absent from the Palace squad amid widespread reports that the French forward is poised for a deadline-day transfer to Italian giants AC Milan. Should this move materialise, Crystal Palace are expected to secure Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jorgen Strand Larsen as his replacement at Selhurst Park.
Glasner entered the Forest match with a severely depleted squad, naming two goalkeepers on the substitutes' bench alongside young prospects Kaden Rodney and Zach Marsh. This selection highlighted the squad's current limitations amid the ongoing transfer window uncertainty.
Dramatic Match Unfolds at City Ground
The match itself provided significant drama, with Morgan Gibbs-White giving Nottingham Forest an early fifth-minute lead. The hosts appeared set to maintain their advantage until defender Neco Williams deliberately handled Jefferson Lerma's goal-bound shot on the line just before half-time.
Williams received an immediate red card for the offence, and Ismaila Sarr calmly converted the resulting penalty to equalise for Palace. Despite playing against ten men for the entire second half, Crystal Palace failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage, with the match ending in a 1-1 stalemate.
Glasner's Firm Stance on Transfer Discussions
When pressed about potential transfers during his post-match interviews, Glasner remained resolute in his refusal to engage with the topic. "I don't know," the Austrian manager stated firmly. "I just told you before in all the interviews, told the board. I don't want to talk about transfers today because I want to focus on the game, this group of players."
Glasner revealed that several key players would be returning to training, saying, "I know Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada and Evann Guessand will be training tomorrow and hopefully available for Brighton next Sunday."
Regarding Mateta's situation, Glasner acknowledged, "Then we have a clear agreement and commitment it will be JP Mateta or somebody else. I don't know how the situation is. But if JP leaves, a striker, a number nine comes in and then let's see what's happening."
Manager Expresses Transfer Window Frustration
The Palace boss expressed clear frustration with the timing of transfer business, stating, "I would prefer not to talk the day before deadline day so much about transfers. My wish would be everything is sorted two weeks ago so we can train, we can focus and develop. I spoke to my staff this week, we have to make a step backwards."
Crystal Palace's winless run now extends to nine matches across all competitions, though the draw at Forest maintains their nine-point cushion above the Premier League relegation zone.
Psychological Factors and Missing Personnel
Glasner pointed to psychological factors affecting his team's performance, saying, "I don't want to blame anybody but the reason for this is our psychological situation over weeks and months now. How I have seen us playing, especially in the first half, gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season."
The manager highlighted the significant absentees from his squad, noting, "We drew at Selhurst 1-1 playing with Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, Daichi Kamada, JP Mateta, with Wharton. None of these players were available today."
Forest Perspective on Hard-Earned Point
Nottingham Forest extended their unbeaten run to four matches, moving six points clear of the relegation places. Manager Sean Dyche viewed the result as a positive outcome given the circumstances.
"It has to be a point earned, it's not easy playing 10 v 11 particularly in the Premier League, and well earned," Dyche commented. "The only disappointing thing is if (Williams) doesn't handball it, 11 v 11 I fancy us to win it."
Dyche defended Williams, saying, "It's clear handball but I think it's just an instinctive thing. Neco's been tremendous since I've been here. I thought the players were terrific."
Regarding Forest's own transfer activity, Dyche revealed, "We are linked with loads of players so we will see which ones we can land. There are two or three I know of but that doesn't mean we will get them."
