Crystal Palace’s difficult start under Pierre Sage has come under further scrutiny after Jérôme Rothen delivered a strong assessment of the French coach’s leadership and performances.
The Eagles finished 15th in the Premier League last season before appointing Sage as their new head coach. The former Lens manager had spent only one year in charge at the French club before accepting the move to England.
However, Palace are currently 17th in the Premier League standings, with the team struggling to gain momentum. Sage has also reportedly frustrated the club’s president, adding to the pressure surrounding his early tenure in south London.
Speaking on RMC, Rothen argued that Sage’s attitude had changed and accused him of becoming too impressed with his own success after guiding Lens to the Coupe de France. He also criticised Sage’s complaints about Palace’s recruitment, contrasting them with the coach’s approach during his time at Lens.
Rothen questioned why Sage did not remain at Lens to manage the club in the Champions League, suggesting that the opportunity to join Palace came before he had built sufficient experience at the highest level. He also highlighted Palace’s record across their first 12 matches, in which they collected three victories and suffered heavy defeats against teams from the lower half of the table.
According to Rothen, Palace have yet to show a collective response, with the team still lacking several important qualities under Sage.
