‘Blame me’ – Oliver Glasner jumps to defend Romain Esse after celebration on Crystal Palace debut in Brentford defeat
Oliver Glasner has jumped to defend Romain Esse after the former Millwall winger received online disapproval from opposition fans due to the fact he celebrated scoring on his Crystal Palace debut despite Brentford being ahead in the game.
The 19-year-old scored with his very first touch in a Crystal Palace shirt after being substituted on with the Eagles being 2-0 down to bring the scoreline back to 2-1.
Esse, who joined in a £14.5million deal, ran off and celebrated with a knee-slide in front of the Holmesdale, which caused a section of people on social media to highlight the fact that Palace were still losing and in the final minutes of normal time.
Glasner said: “He [Esse] did not know that we would lose. There was 15 minutes to play.
“I always tell the players to celebrate every single goal — this is why we play football.
“If we don’t celebrate or feel happy when we score a goal, then quit.
“He had to. Of course, he should [celebrate]. Everybody can blame me because he had to celebrate, that is what I expect from players. When we have a game in training and they score, I want them to celebrate. That’s why we play football.
“If I don’t enjoy it or I don’t feel great when I score a goal then there is something wrong.
“It worries me that sometimes when I watch youth teams, children, play, they score a goal and they go back as if it’s a normal thing. I go: ‘Come on, can’t they show their emotions?’ It is the best thing in the world.
“When you have your first game for a team in the highest league — the Premier League — and you score a goal, if you don’t celebrate, I would not understand it.
“It’s unfair to say ‘don’t celebrate’ when you are losing because at that moment everyone in the stadium — maybe not the Brentford fans, but everybody else — got their hope back that we could get the equaliser.
“In that particular moment, it is important to show emotions to catch our fans, to create optimism and to show we are back again. So it was fine, what he did.”
PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD