Pierre Sage has made clear that he expects total commitment from his Crystal Palace players, but his early selection decisions are raising questions about whether the team can build the consistency he says it needs. Jaydee Canvot was left out of the defeat by Ipswich Town after Sage judged his performance against Fulham and his work in training to be below the required level. Dario Osorio, who made his Palace debut in the Carabao Cup victory over Middlesbrough, was omitted from the Ipswich squad, while Evann Guessand and Dwight McNeil were not involved against Fulham after disappointing substitute appearances in the defeat by Manchester City.
Those decisions have come while Sage has repeatedly stressed that Palace need time to develop an understanding, with 11 new players arriving. The defensive structure has offered little continuity so far: Palace have used a different central-defensive combination in every match this season and have also changed their right wing-back, although Anan Khalaili now appears to be the preferred option in that position.
Further disruption is already guaranteed. Axel Disasi will miss three matches after being sent off against Ipswich for a high challenge on Jack Clarke, including the upcoming trip to Leeds United. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson is also unavailable because of an ankle problem sustained in pre-season, meaning Walter Benitez is set to deputise again when Palace face Lech Poznan in the Europa League before the Leeds fixture.
Palace’s defensive problems have been reflected in the numbers. Sage said the midfield contributed to the vulnerability against Fulham, with neither holding midfielder getting on the ball during the first half. Across the opening three Premier League games, Palace allowed 134 touches inside their penalty area, described by Opta as the highest total faced by a manager in his first three matches since records began in 2008-09. Middlesbrough added another 63 touches in the cup.
Sage has acknowledged that the team are not yet good enough and pointed to his previous experience at Lyon, where a difficult start eventually preceded qualification for the Europa League. He also accepted that his position could come under pressure if Palace were still making the same mistakes later in the season. That warning carries weight given that he has lost three of his first four Premier League matches since taking charge after Oliver Glasner.
The manager’s demanding approach may help establish clear standards, but openly dropping or criticising young players so early could make the process of building confidence more difficult. Canvot and Guessand are viewed within the club’s longer-term plans, with Sage acknowledging that Canvot still has considerable room to improve. There have nevertheless been encouraging attacking displays and signs of resilience in the wins over Fulham and Middlesbrough. Palace now need those positives to be matched by a more dependable defence, with Sage facing a choice between prioritising a settled side and making immediate selection changes whenever individual performances fall short.
