Crystal Palace have reached an agreement with Thomas Frank to become the new manager of the football club, replacing the departing Pierre Sage. 

Frank was a target in the summer before Palace appointed Sage, but wanted more time away from the game after he himself was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur. Just 16 games into his Palace tenure though, Sage has been sacked with the club rock bottom of the Premier League. 

Now, it looks like Palace have got their man, and whilst agreements still need to be made between Palace and Frank’s backroom staff, the Dane will become Palace’s new manager and take charge of his first game when Palace face Coventry City in just over a week’s time.

Whilst Eddie Howe had reportedly turned down what was in reality an ambitious proposal from Crystal Palace, Thomas Frank was, by some distance, the leading candidate to replace Sage. Palace needed a man with Premier League experience, someone who knows the division to spearhead them away from the relegation zone. 

He spent seven years with Brentford, earning promotion, managing to survive for the first couple of seasons before truly establishing them as part of the furniture, before moving on to Spurs. In North London, he didn’t have the best of times, although that did come in a period for Spurs where results simply weren’t going their way. 

What that spell did was tarnish Frank’s name somewhat, and it’s been widely discussed that he is very keen to get back into management, and is enamoured by the opportunity presented at Crystal Palace. 

Palace needs someone who wants the job, and will come in with a huge motivation to prove people wrong and set the record straight on his name.

Compared to the alternative options linked with the new vacancy in South London, Frank stands out as the best option. Sean Dyche would also have provided Premier League experience, but his recent work doesn’t suggest he possesses the ability to turn things around. 

Jens Berthel Askou and Ole Werner were left-field shouts, and it was always unlikely that, following Sage, Palace would go with someone with no experience in England’s top flight. 

Whilst the decision to sack Sage was made across Sunday evening into Monday, the decision is yet to be announced. RC Lens have sacked their manager, which could open the door for an immediate return to Ligue Un for Sage, and would also be a huge financial boost for Palace who wouldn’t have to pay him off. 

The players were also given four days off following the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, and so there is little rush for a new manager to come in. With Frank especially, sources suggest that there is still some work to do in terms of bringing in his backroom staff, and that could even take place across the course of the next few weeks due to the number of staff he is looking to bring with him. 

It could also see a shake up of the current staff at the club. The official announcement is expected in the coming days, but the club have been particularly slow on this occasion, especially in terms of announcing Sage’s departure. 

Despite this, the Frenchman will be officially sacked soon, with Frank coming in to replace him.