Oliver Glasner did not hold back in his assessment of Crystal Palace after their heavy 4-1 defeat away to Leeds United.
Palace were second best throughout at Elland Road, where Dominic Calvert Lewin struck twice and Ethan Ampadu added another as Leeds took control early on. Both sides found the net again late on, but the contest had already been decided.
The loss, Palace’s second in a row in the Premier League, saw them slip to eighth in the table. Leeds, meanwhile, climbed to 16th and moved six points clear of the relegation zone after 17 matches.
With a League Cup quarter final against Arsenal coming up next, Glasner admitted his side were outplayed tactically by Daniel Farke’s team and demanded a response.
Speaking to Sky Sports, an angry Glasner said the performance was unacceptable. He highlighted poor defending at set pieces and a lack of physical presence, calling it embarrassing. The Palace boss added that it was the first time this season he felt his team fully deserved to be beaten.
Glasner pointed out that Leeds’ man to man approach exposed Palace all over the pitch, with his players losing almost every duel. He stressed that football basics were missing from the display, explaining that trying to play through the lines means nothing if you cannot compete physically.
He also warned that with Arsenal next up, a team he described as possibly the best in the league at set pieces, Palace must improve quickly or risk another painful afternoon.