“Crystal Palace coach Oliver Glasner criticized Erik ten Hag’s tactical decision to bench two exceptional players, saying it’s a move he can’t justify, even in another lifetime. Glasner believes that if they had played, the team would have lost by a much larger margin, and warned ten Hag not to make the same mistake again if he values his job.”

Oliver Glasner expressed his belief that Lisandro Martinez should have been shown a red card for his challenge on Daichi Kamada during Crystal Palace’s goalless draw against Manchester United.


Martinez, playing as a centre-back for United, received a yellow card from referee David Coote for a challenge that seemed reckless. The incident showed Martinez leaping with both feet off the ground in an attempt to win the ball from Kamada.

Following the match, the official operational hub for Premier League matches, which includes input from Match Centre, the VAR Hub, and PGMOL experts, took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify the decision. They stated that Martinez’s challenge was reviewed by VAR for a potential red card. However, the officials confirmed the referee’s initial decision to issue only a yellow card, concluding that although the challenge was reckless, there was no contact made with Kamada.

Glasner, while discussing the incident, expressed relief that Martinez did not make contact with Kamada’s shin, as he believed that had the United defender done so, it could have resulted in a serious injury, potentially breaking Kamada’s leg. He acknowledged the referee’s decision, admitting that although it looked like a dangerous foul, he didn’t want to dwell too much on the officiating.

In his post-match remarks, Glasner accepted the outcome of the decision and shifted focus to his own team’s performance. He candidly admitted that Crystal Palace made several mistakes throughout the match, mistakes he felt were more impactful than the referee’s controversial call regarding Martinez. When asked whether he was surprised by the absence of a red card, Glasner admitted that the challenge appeared quite severe to him, suggesting he thought it merited further consideration.

Despite his reservations about the challenge, Glasner remained diplomatic in his response, avoiding an outright criticism of the referee, and instead emphasizing the need for his team to reflect on their own decisions during the match.