Oliver Glasner took a long pause before answering the question: is Christantus Uche performing at the level he expects in training sessions?
The response was a deflection, one perhaps designed to avoid answering with a “no”, even if that might be the reality hinted at by the time it took to consider and then deliver his answer.
Yet even if that is the Palace manager’s feeling, it does not necessarily mean Uche has no future with the club.
Uche arrived on deadline day in the summer transfer window, joining from La Liga side Getafe on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy should he reach 10 Premier League starts this season. That seems unlikely to be reached, however. The 22-year-old has played only eight Premier League minutes since joining.
Last season, he made 38 appearances for the Spanish side, having joined them only a year earlier. At Palace, he has been given only 67 minutes in all competitions, the majority of which came in the Carabao Cup penalty shootout win over Millwall after his half-time introduction.
In those three months, Glasner has gone from praising Uche in his press conference before the goalless draw with Sunderland in September — a “lovely guy who is always smiling and positive and who needs time to settle” — to saying before last weekend’s 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers that the player’s “personal expectations were higher”, suggesting he expected to be more involved.
It was Uche’s striking physicality that caught the eye, with Glasner explaining before the Sunderland draw how that was the profile they were seeking to complement their other No 10s.
“It’s similar to Ismaila (Sarr), who could play as a No 9 but is better when the game is in front of him and he can attack the space from this position,” said Glasner. “This is what we can see from Uche as well.”
Those expectations, however, have not been met, and as a result, there is uncertainty surrounding his future. Uche, who is expected to be part of the Nigeria team for the Africa Cup of Nations next month, is concerned about the lack of involvement.
“I told him, ‘You arrived on deadline day without pre-season to a team that was at that time 19 games unbeaten, so you can’t expect to be a starter immediately’,” Glasner said before the Wolves game. “‘You have to show you deserve it and that you are better than the other player, then you can play’.”
The other problem is that both club and player feel he is best suited to the No 10 role, although he can operate in all three attacking positions and spent his three appearances at Getafe this season as a striker. Sarr, Yeremy Pino and Daichi Kamada have all been preferred as No 10s and have enjoyed successful seasons.
Up front, Jean-Philippe Mateta has continued to score, while Eddie Nketiah has shown promise with cameos from the bench when fit.
There is no obvious place for Uche.
“If I believe (a player) can help the team win a game…” Glasner said. “If I believe they can’t, it’s nothing personal, (but) I don’t play them. I don’t do anything just to do it.”
The responses have changed over time to become more revealing. There is disappointment from the manager, who has been left distinctly unimpressed.
Getafe have checked on Uche’s situation and one senior source at the club told The Athletic their understanding is that the strength of Palace’s team means the player’s opportunities are likely to be rare.
Complicating what happens next with Uche is the financial element of the deal. Getafe were informed by La Liga in the summer that they had breached financial rules. As a result, they earmarked €20million (£17.6m) from the potential future sale of Uche to Palace.
That satisfied the governing body and allowed them to register six new players in the transfer window. If his loan is terminated and he returns, it may present issues, although the club are relaxed about the situation.
Due to his lack of minutes, several clubs in Germany have made initial enquiries to understand his situation with a view to bringing him in.
However, should he leave Palace, he would be unable to play for another club, having already appeared for both Getafe and the Premier League side this season. FIFA rules forbid players from representing more than two teams in a single campaign.
Glasner has high standards and is unafraid to cast aside players who do not meet them. In particular, his players are expected to work hard off the ball defensively and put the team above themselves.
He has put Romain Esse in the under-21 side, but then he is only 20. Uche has a similar experience level, and he, too, has played matches for the under-21s. It was not a punishment, Glasner said, but it is easy to see why a more senior player would see it as one.
The relentless schedule has left little time for meaningful training sessions. If Glasner seeks strong impressions in practice and with the limited minutes he affords those not in his immediate plans, then the fixture list does not seem to allow for it.
Uche might be justified in asking how he is supposed to improve sufficiently or to make an impression if he is not involved in matches and when training is so limited.
He may feel hard done by, but Glasner is prepared to be ruthless. Uche’s future is uncertain, and there are complicating factors, but without the explicit public support of the Palace manager — and if he continues to be overlooked for selection — it is difficult to see a way forward for him in south London.
The Athletic
