Pierre Sage has pointed to the opening 15 minutes of the second half as the key reason Crystal Palace were beaten by Newcastle United.
Speaking to Palace TV, the manager said Palace failed to carry their energy and intensity from the first half into the second period. He felt the team allowed Newcastle too much space and surrendered the aggression needed to stay competitive.
Sage described the problem as primarily mental, highlighting a lack of presence in Palace’s play and body language during that spell. He added that the team rediscovered its attacking intent after conceding a second goal and tried to fight back, but could not change the outcome.
Palace’s next fixture is a midweek Carabao Cup tie away to Fulham. Sage said his side will need to produce a complete performance, with the required motivation, concentration and aggression maintained throughout the match.
He contrasted the Newcastle display with Palace’s performance in Beşiktaş, where he felt the team remained more involved for longer despite making mistakes on both goals conceded. Sage said Palace made too many errors during the 15-minute period against Newcastle to expect a different result.
