Pierre Sage Booed by Palace Fans After Fifth Defeat in Eight Games

• Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage heard boos from home fans after a 2-0 defeat by Newcastle, his fifth loss in eight Premier League games.
• Palace sit in the bottom four, have failed to win in four games and own the worst defensive record in the division with 19 goals conceded.
• Sage says there is “no noise inside the club” while pundits say the Frenchman is “maybe a little bit too nice at times”.

Four Months Into a Three-Year Deal, the Patience Is Already Thin

“Oliver Glasner achieved some amazing things, and now I have to do the same,” Pierre Sage said when he replaced the man who delivered an FA Cup, a European trophy and a Community Shield in two years at Selhurst Park. Four months into a three-year contract, the Frenchman is now facing boos from his own supporters.

Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat by Newcastle was Palace’s fifth loss in eight Premier League games and left them in the bottom four. The crowd had turned up hoping for a positive response to last weekend’s 5-0 humiliation at rivals Brighton. Instead the home fans booed in the game and again at full-time.

Sage is 47. He was named Ligue 1 manager of the year after leading Lens to second place in the table and a French Cup triumph. Palace have just seven points from their first eight league games of the post-Glasner era.

Sage Answers 20 Minutes of Questions on His Future

Asked about his future in his post-match media conference, Sage kept to one message. “There is no noise inside the club,” he said. He called the boos “normal” and put them down to results: “The noise is the consequence of the result of the team, and at the moment we don’t have what we expect.”

He said the squad and staff were “really focused on solutions” and would “continue our work”. On the supporters, he was understanding. “It’s normal that people lose patience when you lose,” Sage said.

He also made clear where he thinks his job is decided. “I don’t have to convince the people around the club,” he said. “I just have to convince the players to do their best to compete and to continue to improve.” Any call on his future, he added, “is for the chairman, to the owners”. Of the talk around the team and the club, his verdict was “it’s only noise”.

How Palace Got Here

The season began with defeats by Everton and Manchester City. A win at Fulham followed, then a home loss to newly promoted Ipswich and a goalless draw at Leeds. Palace came from behind to beat Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park on 11 October, and that remains their last win.

After that they lost at Lyon in the Europa League, lost 5-0 at Brighton and drew 2-2 with Besiktas in Istanbul on Thursday. Lyon is Sage’s former club. Palace now have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, with 19 goals conceded in eight games, and have let in 50 league goals in 2026, more than any other club.

Pundits Say the Manager Needs to Toughen Up

French football expert Julien Laurens, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said Sage needs to be more ruthless. “He’s a lovely guy. He’s maybe a little bit too nice at times,” Laurens said. He pointed to Palace’s first win of the season, against Fulham, when he says Sage felt sorry for the beaten side. “You don’t feel sorry in this league,” Laurens said. “This Premier League is ruthless.”

Former Manchester United and England forward Dion Dublin made the same point on the same programme. “It’s no good being lovely with everything,” Dublin said. “Things can’t be lovely when you are a Premier League manager. You will just lose games and get sacked.”

Former Leeds United forward Lucy Ward agreed. “He has proved himself at Lyon and Lens,” she said. “Being a little bit too nice doesn’t help.”

The Next Three Fixtures Carry Real Risk

Palace travel to improving Tottenham next Saturday, then host Liverpool on 8 November before the international break. Their first game back is at fellow strugglers Coventry City on 21 November. If the run continues, the question of whether Sage is still in charge by then will be asked loudly.

For now the manager holds to his line that the pressure sits outside the building. The supporters who booed on Sunday see it differently, and the table backs them up.