Palace manager Sage facing fight to keep his job

While no-one doubted that following in Oliver Glasner's footsteps as Crystal Palace manager would be a difficult task, Pierre Sage now finds his position under close scrutiny.

A string of poor results - most recently Sunday's 5-0 drubbing by Brighton - makes this week a crucial one in determining his future.

Sage has won just two of his opening seven Premier League games in charge, while the 17 goals they have conceded is the most in the league.

But there is a degree of sympathy from some behind the scenes at Selhurst Park that the Frenchman has been dealt a difficult hand.

Injuries have not been kind, while the absence of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr - due to a mixture of fitness and personal issues, related to both players' desire to leave the club - has not helped the start of his reign.

Co-owner and chairman Steve Parish is not one to act on impulse. He resisted the temptation to act when Glasner publicly criticised the club's board for "abandoning" the team after the decision to sell Marc Guehi to Manchester City in January.

Glasner saw out his contract and added the Europa Conference League title to the FA Cup won the season before.

Not that Sage is out of the woods. With crucial games against Besiktas and Newcastle on the horizon, further poor results will leave Parish with a decision to make.

Some figures close to Palace believe the writing is already on the wall and, when the right replacement is in place, his short tenure will come to an end.

But, having failed to appoint first-choice target Andoni Iraola following Glasner's exit, Palace are well aware of the difficulties of the managerial market.

What is for sure is that the 47-year-old is facing a fight to keep his job.

Sage may point to the disbanding of the squad that led Palace to their first ever major trophies, with the FA Cup in 2025 before last season's Europa Conference League triumph, as the reason for his tough start to life in south London.

Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Maxence Lacroix, Daniel Munoz and Guehi have all departed Selhurst Park since the summer of 2024.

The departure of highly influential sporting director Dougie Freedman in 2025 has also been keenly felt.

In addition to Sage, the position of Freedman's replacement Matt Hobbs is also under the spotlight.

But conceding 17 goals in seven Premier League matches points to a problem, at least in part, of Sage's own making.

The team's recent DNA is rooted in defensive stability. Predecessors Glasner and Roy Hodgson produced well-organised teams with a solid base for its attacking players.

Conceding close to 2.5 goals per game is so far removed from what the team's recent successes has been built upon that it has raised major concern from the club's powerbrokers.

Palace are currently on course to concede 92 goals this season. No club has conceded more since Sheffield United shipped 104 goals to finish bottom in 2024.

Personnel is contributing to those defensive deficiencies. Losing Guehi, Lacroix and Munoz in the space of six months represent significant losses.

From the three centre-backs that started in Sunday's 5-0 loss to Brighton, Jaydee Canvot is 20 years old and Honest Ahanor only 18.

Nevertheless, there is a clear sense from inside the club that Sage's system and approach has been a major contributing factor towards their troubles in defence.

There is a perception from sections of supporters that the club's summer defensive recruitment has not helped.

Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben Chilwell and Oscar Mingueza arrived on free transfers, while Axel Disasi and Ahanor arrived on loan.

As mitigation, it is understood Palace have encountered major difficulty in complying with Uefa's financial rules, leaving them hampered in the transfer market.

Trying to stay within Uefa's guidelines was among the reasons why the club sold Munoz to Nottingham Forest for £22m.

But those financial difficulties do not make the situation Sage finds himself any less critical.

With a Europa League trip to Besiktas and home Premier League game against Newcastle on the horizon, Sage has an opportunity to change the mood music.

Two positive results and the Frenchman will hope he can mount a more consistent upward trend.

Two defeats, however, and Palace may well feel that enough is enough.