Pierre Sage has been given more time to turn around Crystal Palace’s fortunes but remains under huge pressure and could be dismissed if they lose to Tottenham on Saturday. The Frenchman’s position was in serious doubt after another poor performance in the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle at the weekend. That followed a 5-0 thrashing against Brighton when Sage was warned that he could be dismissed if results did not improve quickly.
But with Palace set to travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening before their trip to Spurs in the Premier League, the club’s chair, Steve Parish, has decided not to act given the tight turnaround in Palace’s schedule. However, Sage – who attended the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday evening – is understood to have been left in no doubt that the meeting with Spurs on Saturday is crucial to his future. Palace are 17th and have conceded 19 goals in eight Premier League matchesthis season – the highest in the division.
But, it is understood, Sage retains the support of his squad, with two leading players having sent him messages saying that they still have faith he can turn things around. Palace’s hierarchy are said to be split over whether to fire the former Lens manager after only 12 games in charge, with some in favour of bringing in Thomas Frank or Sean Dyche to steady the ship. Rob Edwards, the former Wolves manager, has also been mentioned as a potential contender.
There is sympathy for Sage at boardroom level given that Axel Disasi – who was signed on loan from Chelsea to replace key defender Maxence Lacroix – has only just returned from a three-match suspension. There were also signs of improvement in the 2-2 Europa League draw at Besiktas in midweek, with Sage believed to have been delighted with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s response since returning from injury. The France striker is in the final year of his contract but failed in an attempt to have it ruled invalid by an independent Premier League tribunal and Fifa.
There are concerns about Ismaïla Sarr, however, who missed the defeat to Newcastle after a recurrence of the groin injury that ruled him out earlier in the season. The Senegal forward has made no secret of his disappointment after Palace rejected a bid from Liverpool in the summer and Sage needs last season’s player of the year back on the pitch if they are to recover from a poor start to life after Oliver Glasner.
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