Crystal Palace fan Thomas believes Pierre Sage could be approaching a decisive point in his tenure after a frustrating trip to Tottenham, with the manager potentially needing two very positive results to remain in charge.
Palace had hoped the match would provide an opportunity to show they are better than a side currently sitting in the relegation zone. Instead, Mateta was sent off after 10 minutes, a decision Thomas considered probably correct despite his frustration at the consequences.
The striker will miss the next three matches as a result, including major fixtures against Liverpool, Coventry and Hull. Thomas felt the early dismissal meant Palace learned little from what had been expected to be one of their biggest tests of the season.
He described Sunday's meeting with Liverpool as a must-win match, while acknowledging that Palace should not have been in such a position at this stage of the campaign. The fan said Sage had begun with attacking intent and promising patterns, but believes the team's league goals have since dried up.
Thomas also pointed to Palace's defensive record, calling it the leakiest in the division, and said the manager had faced several problems that were not his fault. Despite backing Sage as a good person and saying he wanted the appointment to work, he feels Palace are continuing to slide and cannot afford that for long in the Premier League.
The Palace fan added that the club have benefited from several other struggling teams around them, but warned that this will only offer limited protection if results do not improve.
