Pierre Sage is already under serious pressure at Crystal Palace, with The Times reporting that the French manager could be removed if results and defensive performances do not improve soon.
Palace have conceded 17 goals in their first seven Premier League matches, the highest total in the division at this stage. The Eagles sit 14th with seven points, increasing the urgency for a response from Sage’s side.
The situation worsened last Sunday when Palace suffered a 5-0 defeat away to Brighton. Sage apologised to the club’s supporters after the match, acknowledging that the team had produced a performance well below the expected standard.
Sage replaced Oliver Glasner during the summer after a successful spell at Lens, where he won the Coupe de France. However, his defensive approach differs from Glasner’s, with Palace operating a higher line. The club’s recruitment in that area has also proved challenging following Maxence Lacroix’s departure. Palace missed out on Chrislain Matsima and Joel Ordóñez, while Axel Disasi arrived on loan.
Palace now face a demanding run of fixtures. Sage’s team travel to Turkey to meet Besiktas in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Newcastle on Sunday, with the manager needing a rapid improvement to ease the growing pressure around his position.
