Kofuna guda uku a cikin shekara guda ta kalandar. Ga kulob mai girman Crystal Palace, wannan ba mafarki ba ne — yanzu tarihi ne na kwanan nan. FA Cup, Community Shield, da UEFA Conference League sun rataye a kan Selhurst Park, kuma Eagles ba su da niyyar tsayawa.

Maƙerin nasarorin haka, Oliver Glasner, ya bar kulob ɗin bayan shekaru biyu da rabi na canjin ƙwarewa. A maimakonsa, Pierre Sage ya zo — dan Faransa wanda ya jagoranci Lens zuwa matsayi na biyu a Ligue 1 da cin Coupe de France a 2025-26 — yana amfani da tsarin 3-4-3 wanda ya sami yabawa daga mai horar da Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique: "Ita ce karo na farko da na kasance nan da ƙungiya ta ba mu irin wannan matsala."

Sabon babi a Turai

Fifikon Palace a wannan kakar a bayyane yake: UEFA Europa League. Kulob ɗin Ingila sun lashe bugu biyu na ƙarshe na gasar, kuma magoya baya sun yi imani ba shi da wata dalilin da Eagles ba za su ci gaba da jerin haka ba. Sage dole ya daidaita yakin Turai mai tsawo da wahalar gasar cikin gida — wanda ya cutar da Palace a kakar da ta gabata, sa'ad da suka faɗi zuwa matsayi na 15 a Premier League bayan sun kasance na biyar a watan Disamba.

Kammala rabin sama na jadawalin ya cimma nasara sau biyu kawai tun ci gaban Palace na 2013. Cimma wannan tare da tafiya mai zurfi a Turai zai buƙaci zurfin tawagar da ya fi abin da Sage ke da shi a yanzu. Daukar 'yan wasa, kamar yadda ya saba, zai kasance mai yanke hukunci.

Burin da ake tsammani amma bai zo ba

Rauni mafi girma na Palace a 2025-26 shi ne canza matsin lamba zuwa maki. Burnley da Wolverhampton Wanderers kawai suka ci ƙasa da ƙwallayen 41 na Palace a Premier League, duk da haka Eagles sun kasance na tara don harbe-harbe a cikin akwatin da na takwas don burin da ake tsammani — suna sama da Brighton & Hove Albion, Sunderland, da Aston Villa. Babu wata ƙungiya a gasar da ta ƙasa cimma xG dinsu fiye da yadda suka yi.

Ismaila Sarr shi ne keɓancewa mai fitarwa. Ƙwallayen 21 da ya ci a dukkan gasar sun sa ya zama ɗan wasan Palace na farko da ya kai 20 a mataki mafi girma tun Andy Johnson a 2004-05. Yana da shekaru 28, Sarr na cikin kololuwar ƙarfinsa — mai hankali, mai yawa, kuma mai kisa a wuraren haɗari.

Tambayoyi game da sabon zuwa

Hukuncin Brennan Johnson da Jorgen Strand Larsen — waɗanda aka saya da jimillar £78 miliyan a watan Janairu — ya har yanzu bai fita ba. Kulob ɗin da ke aiki da kasafin kuɗi na Palace ba zai iya jure kuskuren saye masu tsada ba. Sage zai buƙaci kuɓuta da iyawarsu da wuri idan Eagles za su yi gogayya a kan gaba biyu.

Palace suna da tarihin fitarwa da ban sha'awa — Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, da Adam Wharton duka sun tafi daga alkawarin Championship zuwa ƙungiyoyin ƙasa a ƙarƙashin kulawa ta kulob ɗin. Matashi mai kare tsakiya Jaydee Canvot wani suna ne da ya cancanci kulawa bayan yaƙin farko mai kyau.

Selhurst Park na bukata ta zama kagara

Sage dole ya magance tarihin gida mai damun kai. Palace ta sami nasara a wasanni huɗu kawai a Selhurst Park a cikin 2025-26, ta tattara ƙananan maki a gida fiye da tafiya. Dawo da filinsu zuwa turjiya mai tsoro yana cikin ayyukansa mafi gaggawa.

A wajen filin, kulob ɗin zai kasance mai faɗakarwa game da sadarwar UEFA, bayan da aka fitar dasu daga Europa League a kakar da ta gabata saboda rasa wata saƙo mai mahimmanci game da ƙa'idodin mallakin kulob da yawa — kuskuren gudanarwa mai tsada da suka ƙuduri ba za su sake maimaita shi ba.

Ƙimar FourFourTwo tana sanya Crystal Palace a matsayi na 13 na Premier League. Babbar tambayar kakar Eagles ta kasance: Shin Pierre Sage zai iya kwafi kakar Lens ta musamman ta 2025-26 a cikin gasar da ta fi wahala sosai?