Pierre Sage Under Threat at Crystal Palace as Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche Emerge as Contenders

Pierre Sage faces the threat of being dismissed as Crystal Palace manager just five months into his tenure, with the club sitting bottom of the Premier League heading into the international break. The hierarchy at Selhurst Park has staged internal discussions concerning the 47-year-old tactician's future and potential successors. Former Brentford and Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has emerged as a leading contender for the role, while ex-Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche also retains internal backing. Both candidates are currently unattached and would be ready to step into the dugout immediately.

Sunday's 3-1 home loss against Liverpool marked Palace's fourth consecutive defeat in the top flight, leaving them with just two wins and seven points from their opening 10 matches. The Eagles currently hold the worst defensive tally in the division having conceded 24 goals, while collecting a solitary victory from four Europa League fixtures to sit 21st in that competition. Sage's side saw a goal ruled out and struck the crossbar against Liverpool, extending a winless league run that began on 11 October with a 5-0 thrashing by rivals Brighton—a fixture after which Sage confessed to feeling "shame" and questioned if he would be granted time to improve their fortunes.

Should he be relieved of his duties, the Frenchman would become the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season. Handed a three-year deal in June following the departure of Oliver Glasner—who guided Palace to FA Cup and Europa Conference League triumphs before taking over at Nottingham Forest—Sage arrived with pedigree after steering Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and their maiden French Cup in 120 years. Despite behind-the-scenes sympathy over injury problems and the absences of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr amid fitness concerns and transfer desires, results on the pitch have fallen flat.

Addressing his position following the Liverpool defeat, Sage insisted he remains focused on turning the situation around: "It's not from the dream to the nightmare. I'm not feeling this. I'm just in my job, and focusing on my job, and what I have to do to find the solution. The results are not at this level, and I know I have to push more on those things, especially in our way of playing, to make that move." Sage also admitted that Palace "have to be more competitive" after acknowledging that despite creating opportunities, they are not getting expected results. Palace now have the two-week international break before returning to action away against Coventry on 21 November.