Palace won't be able to shake off burden of history

FOR THE CUP AT WEMBLEY

- patdolan

the biggest day in their history.

Palace have attributes that can hurt City.

How ironic then that Pep, the ultimate tactical stylist, should invite Neil Warnock to the City training ground this week.

Warnock’s teams, remember, were always full of strength, physicality and pace.

That’s why he was there to speak to City’s players. And that is also why Pep is bigging up Oliver Glasner this week, calling him an incredible manager.

The 50-year-old Austrian really believes he can deliver big today.

He already done so in a previous job, winning the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt.

If he delivers that first major trophy to Selhurst Park, the irony is that it will guarantee his days as Palace boss are numbered as his reputation will grow beyond belief.

He will become bigger than Palace. Someone else will snap him up.

He must be tired of the dynamics in the Crystal Palace boardroom where takeover talk prevails. Then there is the possibility that Mr Palace — aka Steve Parish — could be forced out at a time when sporting director Dougie Freedman is off to his next challenge.