Crystal Palace sack boss Sage after 16 games
Crystal Palace have dismissed manager Pierre Sage after five months in charge following a difficult run of form that leaves the club at the foot of the table.
It's a disaster,
Sage told Sky Sports after a 2-0 loss at Spurs in what proved to be his penultimate league match, he could not hold back on his assessment. That frank assessment has now been matched by club executives, who dismissed the French manager on Thursday afternoon just five months after his appointment.
Sage leaves Selhurst Park after a tumultuous 16 matches in all competitions. His departure comes on the heels of Sunday's 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool, which extended the club's losing streak to four consecutive Premier League matches. Palace have won just two of their opening 10 league games and currently sit at the foot of the table.
Why did Pierre Sage fail to last a single season in South London?
Appointed in June on a three-year contract to succeed Oliver Glasner, Sage arrived with a strong reputation after leading Lens to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and capturing their first French Cup triumph in 120 years. Yet emulating Glasner proved to be an immense hurdle. Glasner had delivered the most successful period in Palace history by winning the FA Cup, UEFA Conference League, and Community Shield before departing for Nottingham Forest.
The squad Sage inherited underwent drastic changes over the summer. Key performers from the previous campaign, including Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz, departed, while the club ended up as the lowest spenders across the entire Premier League during the transfer window. Injuries compounded these issues, alongside the absence of forward players Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr due to a mixture of fitness concerns and personal issues linked to a desire to leave the club.
The defensive frailties quickly piled up. Palace have conceded 24 goals in 10 Premier League matches, giving them the worst defensive record in the division. Following a bruising 5-0 defeat by fierce rivals Brighton, Sage admitted he felt shame and questioned whether he would be given time to reverse the team's fortunes.
Who else has left Selhurst Park alongside the manager?
Sage did not depart alone on Thursday. An 81-word club statement confirmed that three members of his coaching staff, Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa, and Sandy Guichard, have also exited the club. The official statement offered a brief farewell: The club would like to place on record its thanks to Pierre and his staff for their efforts during their time in South London, and wish them well for the future.
This house-cleaning represents the first managerial dismissal at Selhurst Park since the summer transition and coincides with widespread upheaval across the division. Sage is the second Premier League manager sacked, following the departure of Michael Carrick from Manchester United on Thursday.
Could Thomas Frank be the man to rescue the Eagles?
Former Brentford and Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has emerged as the leading candidate to take over at Selhurst Park, with the club working on a deal to bring him in and in advanced talks with the Dane. Frank has been out of work since Tottenham sacked him in February after an eight-month tenure that ended with Spurs sitting 16th in the table. Before that difficult spell in North London, Frank earned high praise during a seven-year stint at Brentford from 2018 to 2025, guiding the Bees into the Premier League and securing a ninth-place finish in 2023.
Palace actually considered Frank during their summer search before ultimately appointing Sage. If negotiations finalize successfully, Frank will inherit a squad facing severe pressure both domestically and in Europe. The club also examined a wide net of alternatives, including Frank Lampard, Sean Dyche, Vitor Pereira, Kim Hellberg, Vitor Matos, Tony Popovic, Jens Berthel Askou, and Ole Werner, according to reports from Sky Sports and other outlets.
What does the immediate fixture list look like for the new boss?
The timing of the international break gives the hierarchy a brief window to finalize negotiations and install a successor before competitive action resumes. Whoever steps into the dugout will immediately face a packed and demanding schedule.
- Coventry (a) - Premier League, Saturday November 21, kick-off 3pm
- Real Sociedad (h) - Europa League, Thursday November 26, kick-off 8pm
- Hull (h) - Premier League, Sunday November 29, kick-off 2.05pm
- Chelsea (a) - Premier League, Wednesday December 2, kick-off 7.30pm
- Aston Villa (a) - Premier League, Saturday December 5, kick-off 3pm
- Jagiellonia Bialystok (a) - Europa League, Thursday December 10, kick-off 5.45pm
Palace return to Premier League action away at Coventry on November 21.
