Crystal Palace sack Pierre Sage after five months
Crystal Palace dismissed Pierre Sage after five months in charge, ending a turbulent spell during which the club dropped to the bottom of the Premier League for the first time since the start of the 2017-18 season. The decision was confirmed on Thursday, after a fourth consecutive defeat, a 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Selhurst Park. Palace had created several chances before Alexis Mac Allister headed Liverpool ahead from a free-kick, while Florian Wirtz later scored a second goal that exposed similar defensive weaknesses.
Sage had been under pressure since a 5-0 defeat by Brighton, when he was told to tighten a defence that had conceded more goals than any other Premier League side. Palace had also allowed eight goals from set pieces in the league, including four during the losing run. Although some players were said to have supported the manager and there were signs they were adapting to his more attacking approach, the team remained too open and struggled to replace key defenders Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guéhi.
Chair Steve Parish is believed to regard the squad as too strong for its position, but was reportedly unhappy with Sage’s suggestion that reinforcements might be needed in January after Palace signed 11 players in the summer. Relegation would threaten the club’s plans for a £200m main stand, whose funding is already uncertain. Thomas Frank is now expected to take over, with Sean Dyche also considered by figures inside the club.
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