Crystal Palace may attempt to make a significant statement of intent by enticing Gareth Southgate into the Selhurst Park hot-seat if they decide to sack Oliver Glasner after an underwhelming start to the season has seen them involved in a relegation battle, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.

A 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Monday, courtesy of Chris Wood’s long-range effort at the City Ground, resulted in the Eagles equalling their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign and it has led to chairman Steve Parish seriously considering whether to make an alteration in the dugout.

Palace’s struggles have come after losing key men Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise during the summer transfer window, with the latter completing a £50million switch to Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich, and Austrian tactician Glasner is desperately seeking an upturn in results as he aims to save his job.

Eagles May Pursue Southgate if Glasner Axed

Palace could try to persuade Southgate to make a return to management if they part ways with Glasner, according to GMS sources, despite there being an awareness that he is not planning to embark on a fresh challenge for a year after resigning as England’s boss following the Euro 2024 final defeat at the hands of Spain.

The 54-year-old already has an existing relationship with the Eagles’ fanbase, thanks to making 117 appearances and chalking up a further 11 goal contributions along the way during his playing career, and Parish has refused to rule out the possibility of attempting to turn his head in the coming weeks.

The former Middlesbrough chief walked away from the England job in July, having been on a contract which allowed him to pocket £5million-per-year, and has been working as a technical observer at UEFA as he carefully plots his next managerial move instead of rushing back into the limelight.

Palace are desperate for Glasner to oversee an improved run of form and remain in his current position instead of being forced to wield the axe, GMS sources have learned, but it is likely that he needs to show progress between now and the next international break after Parish has become increasingly concerned thanks to the winless run and lack of goals.

The two teams are set to face off once again this year, with their match scheduled to take place at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Both teams have been in excellent form and will enter the game with considerable momentum.

The Catalans belted five goals past Sevilla at the weekend while Bayern put four goals past Stuttgart in their league game. The Germans got 24 hours of added rest before the clash while Hansi Flick’s men boast of the home advantage.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Bayern Munich.

The first big European test
Barcelona’s season so far has been as close to flawless as it can be. Two defeats indeed do not look good on the result sheet, but their performances apart from those two understandable slip-ups have been spectacular.

Under Hansi Flick, the Catalans have looked comfortable in defence, red-hot in attack and stable through the midfield with a high press defining their performances to date.

Now comfortable settled in and with the momentum on their side, they step into their first game against a European giant tomorrow night and it will be interesting to see how they fare against an elite opposition.

Bayern Munich are not without their flaws but hold a massive psychological edge over the Blaugrana, especially in recent years.

The Bavarians have won all of their last six games against Barcelona with the Catalans’ last win over the Germans coming back in their MSN era. Further, Bayern have scored 22 goals against Barcelona in the last six meetings compared to the hosts’ four.

A win would thus set the team’s wings free and serve as a serious testament to their form this season. They are well capable of dismantling Vincent Kompany’s men this season but it will all boil down to the psychological aspect.

The high defensive line

Barcelona deploy a very high defensive line under Hansi Flick with the centre-backs playing close to the halfway line and the full-backs advanced as false wingers.

While the gamble has paid serious dividends in improving the team’s presence in the final third, it has not come without giving opposition chances to counter-attack and teams with pace have often found paradise on the break.

Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi have indeed been sensational so far, playing the perfect offside trap and not allowing the opposition’s chances to play long balls. Against Bayern Munich, however, it will be a whole new ballgame.

The Germans have one of Europe’s finest attacking trios. Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise have been in great form with the wingers capable of lashing out vicious counter-attacks when given half a chance.

Jamal Musiala, meanwhile, is a big threat between the lines, creating chaos right outside opposition boxes.

The spotlight, thus, will be on the entire defensive unit tomorrow for keeping the attack at bay will be crucial.

Who will play as the mediapunta?

Hansi Flick’s lineup for tomorrow’s clash is almost written in stone as he has quickly identified his best XI in the current squad.

Inaki Pena will likely continue in goal and could end up as a weak link on the field. While Wojciech Szczesny would be a great option, it is unlikely that the manager will hand him a debut in such a high-pressure clash.

West Ham are considering a move for Edin Terzic if they decide to sack Julen Lopetegui, according to Patrick Berger.

The Sky Sports journalist reported on 22 October that the former Borussia Dortmund boss has been considered by AC Milan and the Hammers, among others.

The 41-year-old will have to wait to see “if something happens in the coaching position” at the London Stadium before making the move after leaving the Bundesliga giants in July.

The German is said to be ready for a new job in football and has been watching games in England and Italy this season.

Edin Terzic to replace Julen Lopetegui at West Ham?

It is safe to say that it hasn’t been the ideal start to life in East London for Lopetegui who has failed to make a positive impression on supporters so far.

The football hasn’t been better or even much different to that of David Moyes which fans got tired of towards the end of his tenure.

The tip of the iceberg was a 4-1 defeat last time out against Tottenham despite going 1-0 up through Mohammed Kudus before he was sent off.

This could see the Irons’ hierarchy make a move to sack the former Real Madrid boss despite him being in the job for just four months.

If they are to move the Spaniard on, Terzic could prove to be a well-received option for the London Stadium faithful after his work with Borussia Dortmund.

The Yellow Wall made the trip to Wembley last season after reaching the Champions League final before losing to an elite Real Madrid side.

It will be interesting to see how long Lopetegui gets before he is relieved of his duties and replaced by another manager.

In other West Ham news, questions of Tim Steidten and his £100m-plus summer spend have been asked behind the scenes.