Crystal Palace are set to sack manager Pierre Sage after just 16 games in charge of the club. The decision follows a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, which left Palace 20th in the Premier League table heading into the November international break.
Sage was appointed as Oliver Glasner's replacement in the summer after a successful spell with Lens, where he won the Coupe de France and finished second in Ligue 1 last season. However, his Palace side have won only two of their first 10 Premier League matches.
Sage to become first Premier League manager sacked this season
According to The Athletic, Sage will lose his job as a result of Palace's poor form. The 47-year-old will become the first Premier League manager sacked this season, despite Michael Carrick's struggles with Manchester United, who are in the relegation zone.
An official announcement from Palace, including a statement, is imminent, and the search for his replacement is already underway.
Potential successors identified
Palace have a two-week break in which to decide on Sage's successor, with options including former Brentford and Tottenham boss Thomas Frank and ex-Burnley, Everton and Nottingham Forest head coach Sean Dyche. Both have been out of work since being sacked last season.
Others admired include another former Forest boss, Vitor Pereira, and ex-Palace centre-back Tony Popovic, who currently coaches the Australia men's national team. Coventry's Frank Lampard is also under consideration, although he may prove difficult to prise away from the Sky Blues.
Sage calls for transfer window signings
Immediately after the defeat to Liverpool, in which Palace only scored in stoppage time when three goals down, Sage made it clear he believes his squad is ill-equipped for the campaign. He said: "We have to adjust some positions during the winter transfer window to give more solutions and more efficiency and I think it will be okay."
Palace have conceded 24 goals in 10 league games this term, including a 5-0 defeat to rivals Brighton, after which the club's board decided to stick with Sage a little longer.
Speaking after losing to Liverpool, Sage said when asked if he is the right man for the job: "If my job is the way to convince people the best thing then they just have to believe in that. If that's not the case then they will take a decision. I always have confidence in myself because if I didn't do the job. If I'm not 100 per cent involved in what I have to do it's a big mistake. Today my job is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to find an efficient solution for the team and club."
