It’s no secret that Pierre Sage is having a difficult time of things at Crystal Palace. In fact, that might just be an understatement. 

There’s no doubt that there have been certain things that can be changed, and haven’t been. The defensive shape from set pieces has been a considerable worry, especially after the Spurs game where Archie Gray was left free at the back post from almost every delivery. 

A number of things have gone against Sage from his first day at the club, but just how much are the odds stacked against him and can he survive in the current predicament he finds himself in? 

In this piece we’re going to attempt to break down all the things going against the Palace manager, and ask the question of whether or not Sage can turn things around, should he be given the time to do so. 

When assessing Palace’s start to the season, it’s important to be fair, but also criticise where necessary. In the opening months of the season, there has been an improvement defensively, but Palace are still shipping too many chances. 

In open play, Palace had one of the worst defensive records in the league for the first eight games or so, conceding the most chances, most expected goals and facing the most shots on target, which unsurprisingly has resulted in the side conceding the most goals in the league so far this season, four more than Sunderland who currently prop up the table. 

The performances showed slight signs of improvement, notably after the defeat to Brighton, but in almost every game this season, it’s felt as if luck is firmly against Palace. 

Sometimes when you’re in a rut, you just need things to click. The main problem that Pierre Sage has faced though, is that so many small problems are piling up, and putting him in a position where, at times, there is little even he can do. 

To start with the obvious, the overall fitness and injury issues have been borderline destructive. Sage hasn’t had a fully fit and firing Ismaïla Sarr once this season. For any manager, missing the top scorer from the season prior would be a huge blow, and it will now be until at least the upcoming international break in November when he is fit to return. 

By then, Palace will have played sixteen games in all competitions. Last season, Sarr averaged a goal every two games. That means, in theory, Palace have missed a minimum of eight goals, almost as many as they’ve scored in the Premier League so far this campaign. 

Dean Henderson’s absence was also a huge blow, and again, he missed nine games this season before returning against Fulham. Had it not been for his saves against Spurs, Palace may have been dealt another devastating loss. 

There’s also been the absence of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who would have undoubtedly started this season had he been fit. Simultaneously, Takehiro Tomiyasu has also been out injured, leaving Sage short of starting quality options in the backline, especially when Axel Disasi was suspended. 

And that brings us on to the two red cards Palace have received in the Premier League. Two moments of madness from players, two moments that the manager simply cannot account for, and two moments which completely derailed the game plan in two huge games. 

Disasi’s absence meant that Palace’s defence missed what was supposed to be a key feature, whilst Mateta will now miss three crucial games for Palace, all whilst Jørgen Strand Larsen is recovering from injury.

Outside of the football itself, there have evidently been media briefings coming from inside the club, all of which negatively impact the manager’s reputation. The stark contrast between how Sunderland briefed the press regarding Regis Le Bris’ future, and how Palace, or staff at the club are passing on information is a huge worry. 

What Palace need now is calm, a focus purely on football and less noise from the outside, and someone within the club is attempting to dismantle that and cause trouble. That never helps, and it certainly won’t be helping Sage. 

When all of these smaller things add up, it can cause a right headache for the manager, and ultimately contribute to their downfall. 

Palace’s league form suffering isn’t exactly news. There seems to be some oversight in terms of just how much the club struggled at times under Oliver Glasner, especially when looking back. A huge reason for that struggle last season was the failure to prepare adequately in the summer window, despite Glasner making it clear at the time that reinforcements were desperately needed. 

Palace saw first hand what can happen when you fail to bring in enough bodies, and whilst the window just gone was slightly more productive, there was still a lack of forward thinking, leaving a lot of the business until the final day, as well as simply failing to replace Maxence Lacroix adequately. 

Expecting a new manager to come in, having not had a fluid pre-season, with the majority of his signings coming in on or close to deadline day but making things work quickly is unrealistic, and perhaps Palace should have known that when they decided to appoint him. 

There’s also been a significant lack of time on the training pitch, with Palace consistently playing once every 3-4 days, travelling all over Europe and that too will have impacted the chance for Sage’s tactics and ideas setting in. 

Now, Palace face another two big tests in Hoffenheim and Liverpool, before two games which will undoubtedly be branded as ‘must-win’ against Hull and Coventry. 

Whilst there has been plenty to get downbeat about, there are still positives and reasons for optimism. Firstly, the Premier League is incredibly tight this season. One or two wins can really propel you up the table. 

Palace have shown on occasion that they are able to perform to a strong level, although not for an entire ninety minutes so far. Despite two defeats in the last two Premier League outings, there were moments of encouragement to take away. Whilst very little assessment can be made of the minutes at Spurs following the red, the opening moments were bright, and there was also strong play at times against Newcastle. 

Sage needs to get his players to perform at the level for an entire game, and what could be of huge benefit to him is the upcoming international break. If Palace were going to be ruthless, they’d encourage as many of their players as possible to withdraw from, or make themselves unavailable for their international sides. 

Time on the training pitch is much needed, and Sage deserves the right to get at least that, if not the games against Hull and Coventry, if not until the January transfer window where the club can actually back him and do their bit to make this work. 

It’s going to take a big team effort, a push from all sides to get this going, and it needs to start on Thursday night.