Crystal Palace are poised to sack Pierre Sage after Sunday’s defeat by Liverpool left them bottom of the Premier League for the first time since December 2017, with Thomas Frank emerging as the main candidate to succeed him.
The Frenchman, appointed in mid-June to replace Oliver Glasner, has been under mounting pressure since a 5-0 defeat by Brighton last month. There have been few signs of improvement as Palace have slumped to four successive league defeats.
Sage has guided Palace to only two wins from their 10 Premier League games this season and they have the league’s worst defensive record, with 24 goals conceded so far. Although there were promising moments during the 3-1 defeat by Liverpool at Selhurst Park on Sunday, their habit of conceding goals from set pieces has not been rectified and it is understood the patience of the club’s hierarchy has worn thin despite Sage only being at the helm for 16 matches.
He is expected to become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season on Monday. Palace are already believed to have started the process of bringing in his replacement. Frank, who was dismissed by Tottenham in February, spoke to Palace in the summer and is said to be keen for a new challenge after a successful spell at Brentford.
The former Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche also has his backers at Palace and would be seen as a safe pair of hands given his vast experience in the Premier League. Vítor Pereira, another former Forest manager, could be an alternative.
Sage signed a three-year contract in south London after leaving Lens, where he won the Coupe de France and qualified for the Champions League in his final season. Palace have lost their two main central defenders this year, Marc Guéhi moving to Manchester City in January and Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea in the summer. Two loan players – Axel Disasi and the teenager Honest Ahanor – were signed as replacements. Palace did not land one of Sage’s top targets, Malick Fofana.
Sage denied after the Liverpool game that his dream job had turned into a “nightmare” but suggested that Palace’s squad needed investment in January. “We have to adjust some positions during the winter transfer window to give more solutions,” he said.
