Crystal Palace sack Pierre Sage; Thomas Frank in talks
Club bottom of the Premier League after four straight defeats. BBC Sport reports Thomas Frank is at an advanced stage of talks about the job.
Key points
- Palace have dismissed Pierre Sage after five months in charge.
- The club sits bottom of the Premier League after four straight league defeats.
- Three of Sage's staff, Alioui, Della Santa and Guichard, have also departed.
- BBC Sport says Thomas Frank, once of Spurs and Brentford, is at an advanced stage of talks.
- Palace's next league match is away at Coventry on 21 November.
Pierre Sage has been dismissed as Crystal Palace manager after only five months in the job, according to BBC Sport. The club sits at the bottom of the Premier League table. BBC Sport says Thomas Frank, a former Brentford and Tottenham boss, is at an advanced stage of talks about taking over.
The decision came after a 3-1 home loss to Liverpool on Sunday, which was Palace’s fourth straight league defeat. The side has claimed only two wins from its opening 10 Premier League matches and has conceded 24 goals, the most in the division. In the Europa League, Palace are 21st out of 36 teams after one win from four games.
In its statement, the club also confirmed the departures of three members of Sage’s staff: Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard. It thanked Sage and his team for their work at Selhurst Park. Further news on the search for a successor, the club said, would be shared at a later date.
A brief and troubled reign
Sage, aged 47 and from France, took charge in June under a contract lasting three years. He succeeded Oliver Glasner, who moved on to Nottingham Forest at the end of the previous season. Under Glasner, Palace won the FA Cup for the first time and lifted the Europa Conference League.
Before joining Palace, Sage had taken Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and won the French Cup for the first time in the club’s 120-year history. Results did not follow him to south London in the same way. Palace have not won a league game since 11 October, when a 5-0 defeat by Brighton began their slide.
Sage said he felt shame after that result. Injuries hurt his plans, and the unavailability of forwards Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr, linked to fitness and their wish to leave, made matters harder. Sage won five of his 16 games in charge across all competitions. Palace also had a goal ruled out and hit the woodwork in the loss to Liverpool.
Wider Premier League changes
Sage is the second Premier League manager dismissed this season, after Manchester United removed Michael Carrick on Thursday. The two departures are the first of the campaign in the league.
Frank’s last job ended when Tottenham let him go in February, after a little under eight months. At that point Spurs were 16th, just five points clear of the drop zone, having gone eight league games without a win.
Palace return to Premier League action with a trip to Coventry on 21 November, once the international break is over. The club has not yet confirmed whether Frank will be appointed or when a decision will be announced.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Crystal Palace sack Pierre Sage?
Palace dismissed Sage after five months, with the side bottom of the Premier League. They had lost four league games in a row and had won only two of their first 10.
Who is set to replace Pierre Sage?
BBC Sport reports that former Brentford and Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is at an advanced stage of talks. The club has not announced an appointment yet.
Who else has left Crystal Palace?
Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard, three members of Sageu0026#039;s staff, also left, according to the club.
Sources
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