Crystal Palace can forget Iraola by hiring 4-2-3-1 Glasner replacement

Crystal Palace are one month away from the Conference League final – should they defeat Shakhtar Donetsk over two semi-final legs to secure a plane ride to Leipzig.

It’s been a topsy-turvy campaign for the Eagles, but Oliver Glasner has a real opportunity to bow out with a third title in the bag. Make no mistake, the Austrian coach has rewired Crystal Palace, turning them into believers and challengers out on the continent.

Winning the Conference League would also secure Palace’s place in the Europa League next season, and whether that affects chairman Steve Parish’s hunt for a Glasner successor remains to be seen.

In any case, some exciting candidates have been lined up.

Crystal Palace searching for Glasner successor

It seemed ambitious when Crystal Palace registered their interest for outgoing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, but there remains a real chance to hire the in-demand Spaniard this summer.

Athletic Bilbao had been among the favourites for Iraola’s signature, but Spanish sources claim that Edin Terzic is set to take over in Basque Country.

Still, while the 43-year-old would undoubtedly be a shrewd appointment for the Eagles, any number of top teams are in for him, and Palace need a contingency.

According to TEAMtalk, they could fall onto Frank Lampard as an alternative, the Coventry City manager emerging as a contender after winning the Championship this season.

Lampard has turned Coventry into a fantastic side, and his previous Premier League experience with Chelsea and Everton could see him emerge as the perfect Iraola alternative.

Ex-Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has also been considered, but that would be a risky choice indeed.

Why Lampard could be perfect for Palace

Lampard, 47, is a relatively well seasoned manager in the English game, but he’s still yet to prove his worth as a coach at the very top of the game.

However, his Coventry team have been a joy to watch this season, with enough about them to suggest that they could survive the inevitable relegation dogfight next year.

With an emphasis on intense and front-footed football, Lampard would align with the progressive appointment that Parish hopes to make. Previous links to Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche, for example, might feel like a backwards step for a side who could make it back-to-back title-winning campaigns.

In this, he shares a certain tactical quality with Iraola, and he could be the perfect fit in regard to his formation too. Typically structuring his side in a 4-2-3-1 set-up, shifting to a 4-3-3 when out of possession, the Sky Blues have prospered under Lampard’s tutelage this season, his clear instructions paying off.

Lampard requires an orchestrator in the engine room, and for that, Palace will need to do all within their power to keep onto Adam Wharton, who is brilliant and thus is linked with a whole host of outfits ahead of the summer transfer window.

Though Iraola is probably the more attractive pick, having done great things with Bournemouth over the past few years, the one-time Chelsea midfielder would be an astute addition to the dugout, one who could build on the stability and depth across the Palace first team.

Lampard may consider Kieran McKenna’s decision to stay at Ipswich Town after securing promotion from the second tier in 2024. Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United all had a vested interest in the emergent coach.

Lampard remarked that his team had “done something special” in the Championship this season, and while Premier League football will hit them like a freight train, the former England international has shown that he has what it takes to fight and succeed against the threat of relegation.

Whether they manage to resist Palace’s advances, however, is another matter.

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