Crystal Palace players and club chiefs have grown frustrated over Pierre Sage’s training methods, Daily Mail Sport can reveal – and the 47-year-old will today be sacked having won just two of his first ten Premier League matches.
A 3-1 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday saw Palace drop to bottom of the Premier League for the first time in nine years and proved to be the final straw for club bosses, who will today tell the Frenchman his time is up.
Daily Mail Sport understands that while the Palace players got on well with Sage, they were frustrated by his late training sessions – with some not starting until 4pm. The regimented routine required players to stay at the training ground for dinner on the night before matches, with some not returning home until 8pm ahead of a 2pm kick-off the following day.
The club’s hierarchy, meanwhile, expressed concerns early in the Frenchman’s tenure that he was not doing enough defensive work on the training pitch.
Sage’s philosophy was that the best way to defend was having the ball, meaning training sessions focused on running, pressing and possession rather than defensive structure.
But the lack of focus led to a poor defensive record, with Palace conceding 30 goals in 16 matches across all competitions. Defending set-pieces and counter-attacks has been a persistent problem for Sage’s side.
Pierre Sage will become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season after a dismal spell at Crystal Palace
Palace sit rock bottom of the Premier League after winning just two of their first 10 games
Daily Mail Sport understands many players voiced fears they were being pushed too hard in training, with sessions the day before a game particularly intense. There were also significant concerns about the quality of Sage’s backroom staff, with his assistant Jamal Alioui proving especially unpopular among the players.
While Palace’s on-pitch struggles have been evident, the situation is precarious off the pitch, too. A significant number of staff have resigned amid dissatisfaction with the regime imposed by chief executive Sharon Lacey, with morale understood to be low. Sources have suggested that while Lacey is talented, she struggles to motivate her workforce.
There has also been considerable turnover among senior executives, with six departures over the past 18 months. Chief financial officer Mitesh Velani is set to add to that number in the coming months. One well-placed source told Daily Mail Sport that the disruption to the club’s business operations has the hallmarks of a club heading for relegation.
As Palace look to bail themselves out of trouble, Daily Mail Sport understands former Brentford and Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is in pole position to replace Sage, with six-pointers against Hull City and Coventry City following the international break. Sean Dyche also has admirers at Selhurst Park.
Palace chairman Steve Parish first contemplated sacking Sage over his lack of defensive nous in September, but gave him a stay of execution after Palace kept a clean sheet in a spirited performance away at Leeds on the eve of the international break. However, that display proved an anomaly as Palace shipped 19 goals in the following nine games.
Palace have won just once in their last eight matches in all competitions, beating Fulham 1-0 in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
In September, Daily Mail Sport revealed tensions had emerged between Sage and Parish when the latter took a dim view of the decision to drop teenage defender Jaydee Canvot in their defeat by Ipswich Town.
Palace paid French club RC Lens £4million in compensation to appoint Sage in June after he won the French Cup, finished second in Ligue 1 behind Paris Saint-Germain and was named manager of the season last term. It was the first time in 10 years that Palace had paid compensation to appoint a manager.
Palace chairman Steve Parish (right) first contemplated dismissing Sage in September over a lack of defensive nous
Palace players found Sage’s training sessions too intense and struggled to adapt to the late schedule
Succeeding Oliver Glasner, Palace’s greatest manager, proved too big a task for the 47-year-old.
Following Palace’s loss to Liverpool, Sage insisted the Eagles have been playing better than their league position suggests and pleaded for more time.
‘A lot of times I’ve said we deserved better and it was the case again (on Sunday),’ said Sage. ‘My job is not the most important thing, as I always said from the beginning. The most important thing is to find an efficient solution for the team and for the club.
‘I know how important it is for the club to stay in the Premier League. The club just have to believe in (me), and if it’s not the case, they will take a decision. I always have confidence in myself because it’s a big, big mistake to not be 100 per cent involved in what I have to do.
‘We have to adjust some positions during the winter transfer window to give more solutions and more efficiency and I think it will be OK.’
