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Back in early December, Crystal Palace were flying. Marc Guehi's dramatic late winner away at Fulham had Oliver Glasner dreaming of Champions League football after the Eagles moved into the top-four.

A little over a month later and it all went downhill - and in chaotic fashion too. Midway through the January transfer window and the FA Cup holders had been dumped out of the competition by non-league Macclesfield, as well as losing their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Arsenal.

Glasner also saw his team flop in the Conference League league phase, forcing them to settle for a play-off tie, and they collapsed in the league too to all but end any ambitious hopes of a top-four spot.

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Could it get any worse? It could and it did. On January 16, just 40 days after that thrilling Fulham victory and Palace's crisis hit a new humiliating low.

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In an explosive pre-match press conference, Glasner announced captain Guehi was leaving to join Manchester City before the manager dropped another bombshell by confirming he will leave the club when his contract runs out at the end of the season.

It's turned very messy since those revelations, with the south Londoners getting dragged into the relegation scrap after an awful run of form in the league.

They beat fierce rivals Brighton last month to end a nine-game winless run and, although they've been inconsistent since the turn of the year, they seem to be safe for now.

But Palace fans have turned on Glasner, calling for his immediate exit and booing the under-pressure boss following the 1-1 draw in the first-leg of their Conference League play-off with Bosnian minnows Zrinjski Mostar last month.

Glasner furiously hit back and told angry supporters: "Stay humble. Never forget where you're coming from. I think a few who are so critical in this situation are not humble anymore.

"Forget where you are coming from and usually in life you are punished for this. It would have been quite easy for me to step back earlier, [I had] many opportunities to be honest. I didn't do it. I felt responsible for the team - especially for the players."

They have now navigated their way through to the last-16, setting up a clash with a AEK Larnaca side who stunned them by inflicting a 1-0 defeat in the league phase at Selhurst Park.

But hopes of European glory hasn't eased the pressure on Glasner, who has seen his reputation somewhat decline given what has gone on in recent months.

He's had it tough at Palace in terms of player departures, having seen Eberechi Eze leave last summer and then influential captain Guehi following him out the door this year.

Last season's historic FA Cup triumph put Glasner on the radar of Europe's top teams and he will go down as arguably the greatest manager in Palace's history.

But things have turned sour in south London. There have been several explosive outbursts in press conferences since he confirmed his departure and digging out the fans has escalated tensions.

He could still have his pick of Europe's best teams in the summer and he's a proven winner, having won the Europa League with Frankfurt before arriving in the Premier League.

Spurs have previously been linked with a move for Glasner and will be on the lookout for a new manager at the end of the season. Interim head coach Igor Tudor has had a tough start to life in north London but his remit is straightforward - keep the club in the top-flight.

Glasner will have a chance to prove his worth to the Spurs hierarchy on Thursday night when Palace travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a must-win match for the hosts.

But how will they view Palace's worrying form and Glasner's outbursts? Having had hot-headed managers in the past, including Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte (and look how that turned out...), they might be reluctant to hire a manger who can turn against the club.

But, then again, they've tried a Mr Nice Guy in Thomas Frank and that backfired too. It's a dilemma for Spurs and one they perhaps will worry about once they know know which league they'll be playing in.

Glasner might not view Thursday night's clash as an audition, and it is understood the popular Mauricio Pochettino is the leading contender to take the job full-time in the summer, but the Austrian will do his hopes no harm with a positive performance.

Spurs are keeping their options open and are known admirers of the manager. He knows how to win trophies, as well as getting the best out of his players.

His 3-4-2-1 formation, with an emphasis on counter-attacking football and his wing-backs powering forward, might not necessarily excite a Spurs fanbase who want exciting and attacking football.

Glasner can still finish the season strong and he knows more silverware, with Palace targeting European glory, will boost his chances of impressing potential suitors - despite what has gone on at Selhurst Park in recent months.

But it might be a little too late. Who knows where Glasner goes in the summer, but he may have already harmed his chances of landing a top job in the Premier League.