Pierre Sage has hit back at growing speculation about his future at Crystal Palace, insisting both his players and the club's hierarchy continue to back him — even as a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle extended the Eagles' winless run to four Premier League matches.
Palace were beaten convincingly at Selhurst Park on Sunday, failing to respond to last weekend's 5-0 thrashing at Brighton. Newcastle delivered a damaging 11-minute double shortly after half-time to settle the contest.
Early-half frailty a growing concern
The timing of the goals raised alarm bells. The first arrived barely a minute after Sage's half-time team talk, exposing what has become a recurring vulnerability — Palace have conceded a fifth of their goals this season within the opening 10 minutes of halves, including three during the rout at the Amex Stadium.
"It's normal to be under pressure because we don't have the results," Sage said. "The noise around the team and club is only noise. Inside, we are really focused on the solutions — how to be better and how to create the conditions to compete."
The Crystal Palace head coach confirmed he had spoken with the club's chairman during the week but said the conversation focused entirely on tactics and team preparation, not his job security.
"I share my strategy with him and the technical staff," Sage said. "After that, this kind of decision is for the chairman and owners. I don't have to convince people around the club — I just have to convince the players to do their best and continue their improvement."
Difficult Premier League baptism
Sage arrives in England on the back of an exceptional campaign with Lens last season, guiding the club to their first ever French Cup and a runners-up finish in Ligue 1. The step up to the Premier League, however, has proven demanding. Palace sit just two points above bottom side Sunderland after eight games, and have conceded 19 goals — the most of any side in the division.
"I always expected to do better," Sage acknowledged. "Football is an imperfect game — there are always mistakes from players and coaches. It's always a frustration when you don't achieve the perfect thing."
He drew a distinction between Sunday's loss and the Brighton defeat, arguing Palace were only undone by a 15-minute lapse against Newcastle rather than a complete collapse.
Possession the key, Sage believes
The Frenchman pointed to poor ball retention as the root cause of Palace's defensive troubles, despite the club recording one of the lowest average possession figures in the Premier League this season.
"My idea is that the best way to defend is to have the ball — if you have it, you can't concede," he said. "Today it was not a tactical problem, it was a mental one. When we came back from the dressing room, we let our opponent do too many things."
Sage acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead but remained resolute, framing Palace's problems as correctable issues of concentration and ball control rather than fundamental flaws in his system.
