Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; LodiScore provides the summary and editorial framing.
Pierre Sage pressure at Crystal Palace now has a two-game horizon. Steve Parish will use the fixtures against Besiktas and Newcastle to judge whether the manager can repair a defence that has conceded 17 goals in seven Premier League games, the most in the division.
Pierre Sage pressure and the two-game window
Parish has set a short evaluation period. The Crystal Palace chairman wants improvement in the team, especially from a defensive standpoint. If that improvement does not appear across the next two fixtures, a managerial change becomes likely.
Results alone do not explain the situation. Palace have won two Premier League games this season. The weekend defeat to Brighton, their M23 rivals, was heavy. Performances in victory have also left the future in doubt.
The home defeat to Ipswich came with Palace down to ten men for over an hour. Apart from that result, outcomes have largely matched expectations. The problem is the performance level, including in matches Palace have won.
Crystal Palace defensive numbers under Sage
Seventeen goals conceded in seven league games is the highest total in the Premier League. Palace rarely control matches. The team has been too easy to play against, and the defensive record is the clearest measure of that.
There have been spells where Palace played very well. Those spells have not produced control. The side has rarely dictated the shape of a game, and the goals conceded reflect it.
Selection has not been stable. Axel Disasi arrived as the new leader of the defence; his suspension hurt the side. Injuries to Chadi Riad and Takehiro Tomiyasu mean Sage has named an unchanged back three in all competitions only once.
Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi have not been adequately replaced, a point supporters raise when defending the manager. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr have also not been at full speed.
Midfield balance and the Timber injury
Adam Wharton has not been at his best and struggled against Brighton. Daichi Kamada has been used further forward while Sarr returns to fitness. That midfield combination needs urgent attention.
Quinten Timber has made a lively start in south London but may need to play with more discipline while the team leaks goals. A hamstring injury to Timber could force Kamada deeper, a change the source describes as a possible blessing in disguise.
Timber said on Tuesday that he believes the manager can turn things around. Reports suggest some players are unhappy with Sage's communication; the majority of the squad, per the source, remain behind him.
Sage has presented an upbeat figure with the media since his appointment. Recent press conferences showed visible frustration.
Available managers and the adaptation test
Sage gave up Champions League football to work in the Premier League. His Lens side finished second in Ligue 1, and the French Cup win was viewed as a strong positive given Palace's recent success in cup competitions.
The summer search produced contrasting views inside the hierarchy. Thomas Frank, Gareth Southgate and Domenico Tedesco were admired and are currently available. There was strong interest in Frank Lampard and Kieran McKenna; McKenna would cost any club £8m if appointed before June next year.
Results alone will not save Sage. He must show a willingness to adapt his team and himself. The next two fixtures are the test of whether that adaptation is visible.
This report is based on Sky Sports' reporter notebook; the original can be read at skysports.com.
