Crystal Palace are expected to dismiss Pierre Sage after Saturday's defeat to Tottenham, with several unemployed managers already linked to the role.
Sage's position had been under threat before kick-off, and matters worsened when Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off inside 15 minutes. Referee Michael Oliver upgraded his initial yellow card to a red after a VAR intervention for a lunge on Micky van de Ven. The 10 men fell behind when Archie Gray headed in from a corner, and Jan Paul van Hecke added a second in the second half.
Sage's Difficult Run
Sage had collected seven points from his first six games after opening his first Premier League campaign with back-to-back defeats. However, this loss marked a third consecutive defeat, and The Guardian reported earlier in the week that a loss at Spurs would lead to his dismissal.
The Eagles have also been inconsistent in Europe, losing to Sage's former employers Lyon. The squad has been depleted across the last three transfer windows, with Ebere Eze, Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz among those to depart. The Conference League holders dropped into the bottom three before kick-off on Saturday.
Potential Replacements
Palace have previously turned to Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce and Roy Hodgson for pre-Christmas firefighting roles. Gareth Southgate, who began his playing career at the club with nearly 200 appearances before leaving for Aston Villa in 1995, is one candidate. The 56-year-old has not taken a new role since leaving the England job after Euro 2024.
Rob Edwards is another option, with sporting director Matt Hobbs knowing him well from their time at Wolves. The 43-year-old left Molineux on the eve of the season and remains unattached. Eddie Howe has been out of work since leaving Newcastle in the summer, though he would be unlikely to have comparable resources at Selhurst Park.
Thomas Frank was linked with Palace after Oliver Glasner's summer exit, and his Brentford tenure showed a blueprint for success on a budget. Glasner himself has struggled at Nottingham Forest since his summer move, with his new side one of only two teams below his former club in the table.
