Sage under pressure after Palace's fifth defeat in eight league games
Pierre Sage faces mounting scrutiny as Crystal Palace sit in the bottom four following a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle, with fans booing and pundits questioning his approach.
Pierre Sage is under growing pressure four months into his three-year contract at Crystal Palace after a fifth defeat in eight Premier League games left the club in the bottom four. Sunday's 2-0 home loss to Newcastle was met with boos from supporters, who had hoped for a response following a 5-0 thrashing by rivals Brighton the previous weekend. Palace have now failed to win their past four matches.
Sage succeeded Oliver Glasner, who delivered an FA Cup, a European trophy and a Community Shield in two years at Selhurst Park, and acknowledged the standard he inherited. Asked about his future, the Frenchman said there was "no noise inside the club" and insisted he did not need to convince people around the club, only the players. He accepted that fans losing patience was a normal reaction to poor results.
Palace have seven points from their first eight league games this season. After opening defeats to Everton and Manchester City, they beat Fulham, lost at home to newly promoted Ipswich, drew at Leeds and defeated Nottingham Forest on 11 October. That was their last win, followed by losses to Lyon in the Europa League and Brighton, and a 2-2 draw at Besiktas. Palace also have the Premier League's worst defensive record, conceding 19 goals in eight games.
French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Radio 5 Live that Sage is a lovely man who may be too nice at times, recalling that Sage felt sorry for Fulham after Palace's first win of the season. Laurens said such sympathy has no place in the ruthless Premier League and that Sage needs to do things slightly differently.
Former Manchester United and England forward Dion Dublin said being lovely with everything will not work for a top-flight manager, warning that such an approach leads to losing games and the sack. Former Leeds forward Lucy Ward noted that Sage proved himself at Lyon and Lens but agreed that being a little too nice does not help.
Palace's next league match is at Tottenham on Saturday, followed by a home game against Liverpool on 8 November before the international break. They return at fellow strugglers Coventry City on 21 November, by which point the question of whether Sage remains in charge will have been answered.
