Pierre Sage is facing a potentially decisive period at Crystal Palace, according to supporter Thomas, who said the manager could be nearing the end of his time at the club unless results improve quickly.
Speaking after Palace's frustrating game at Tottenham, Thomas said the match had offered an opportunity for the team to demonstrate that it should not be battling near the bottom of the Premier League. Instead, Mateta was dismissed after 10 minutes, leaving Palace to deal with the consequences of the decision.
The supporter accepted that the forward's challenge could warrant a red card, but stressed the wider impact of the suspension. Mateta will miss Palace's next three matches against Liverpool, Coventry and Hull, which Thomas described as important fixtures in the club's season. He felt the early dismissal meant the Tottenham game provided little meaningful evidence about Palace's level.
Thomas believes the coming week could be crucial for Sage, with Palace needing two highly positive results to ease the pressure. He also described Sunday's meeting with Liverpool as a must-win fixture, while expressing concern that such a requirement has emerged at this stage of the campaign.
The Palace fan said Sage had begun his tenure with attacking ambition and promising patterns of play, but felt the team's league scoring had since declined. With Palace's striker suspended and the defence regarded by Thomas as the leakiest in the division, he said the manager had faced several problems that were outside his control.
Despite those concerns, Thomas said he liked Sage and wanted the appointment to succeed, arguing that the manager had suffered considerable misfortune. However, he warned that Palace's slide could not continue indefinitely in the Premier League, even though several other teams are also struggling.
