Crystal Palace have decided not to dismiss Pierre Sage before Saturday’s Premier League trip to Tottenham, although the French manager remains under significant pressure. The decision comes after a damaging run of results, including a 5-0 defeat by Brighton and a 2-0 loss to Newcastle, where Palace produced another below-par performance.
Chair Steve Parish is understood to have opted against making a change because Palace face Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before travelling to Spurs four days later. Sage, who attended Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, has nevertheless been made aware that the Tottenham fixture could be decisive for his future.
Palace sit 17th in the Premier League and have conceded 19 goals in eight matches, the highest total in the division. Despite the difficult start, Sage is believed to retain the backing of his players, with two senior members of the squad sending messages to reaffirm their belief that he can improve the team’s fortunes.
There is reported to be disagreement within the Palace hierarchy over whether to remove Sage after only 12 games in charge. Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche have been considered as possible replacements, while former Wolves manager Rob Edwards has also been mentioned as a contender.
Sage has received some sympathy at board level, with Axel Disasi only recently returning from a three-match suspension after joining on loan from Chelsea to replace Maxence Lacroix. Palace also showed improvement during their 2-2 Europa League draw at Besiktas, while Jean-Philippe Mateta’s form since returning from injury has pleased the manager. The France striker is in the final year of his contract and recently failed in an attempt to have it declared invalid by an independent Premier League tribunal and Fifa.
Palace are also monitoring Ismaïla Sarr’s fitness after the Senegal forward suffered a recurrence of the groin problem that had sidelined him earlier in the campaign. Sarr missed the Newcastle defeat and, after Palace rejected a summer bid from Liverpool, his return would provide an important boost as the club attempts to recover from its difficult start following Oliver Glasner’s departure.
