Palace weigh up replacing Pierre Sage with Thomas Frank after fourth straight loss
Crystal Palace are considering a change of manager less than five months into Pierre Sage's tenure, with Thomas Frank the leading candidate and Sean Dyche also attracting internal support after a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool left the club bottom of the Premier League.
Crystal Palace are assessing Pierre Sage's position after Sunday's 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool extended their losing run to four league matches and left them bottom of the Premier League going into the international break. Internal discussions have covered both Sage's future and possible successors, with the Frenchman in serious danger of becoming the season's first managerial casualty in the top flight.
Former Tottenham and Brentford manager Thomas Frank is seen as a strong candidate, while ex-Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche also has some backing within the club. Both are out of work and could begin immediately. Palace have seven points from 10 league games, the division's worst defensive record with 24 goals conceded, and sit 21st in the Europa League with one win from four matches.
Sage, appointed on a three-year deal in June after Oliver Glasner's departure, has struggled to match his predecessor, who delivered an FA Cup and Europa Conference League triumph before joining Nottingham Forest. Palace have not won in the league since 11 October, a sequence that began with a 5-0 loss to rivals Brighton, after which Sage spoke of feeling shame and uncertainty over his future.
There has been some sympathy internally. Injuries disrupted his plans, and the absences of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, linked to fitness and personal issues amid both players' desire to leave, complicated the start of his reign. Against Liverpool, Palace hit the bar and had a goal ruled out. Sage said afterwards that he was not experiencing a shift from dream to nightmare and was focused on finding solutions, adding that the team must be more competitive because it creates chances without getting the results expected.
Supporters are divided over whether Sage should be given more time, with some pointing to the injury and squad problems and others arguing the results demand a change. Palace's next league fixture is at Coventry on 21 November, after the two-week break.
