Pierre Sage Feels Shame After 5-0 Defeat and Cannot Promise His Future

• Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage said “shame” was his only feeling after a 5-0 defeat at Brighton and said he does not know if he will get time to fix it.
• Palace have no immediate plans to change manager, but Sky Sports reports that Sage is under increasing pressure.
• Palace are 14th with seven points from seven games and have conceded 17 goals, the most in the Premier League.

Sage Takes the Blame and Apologises to Palace Fans

Pierre Sage stood in front of the cameras after Crystal Palace’s 5-0 defeat at Brighton and could not say whether he will be given time to turn things around. “I don’t know,” the Palace manager said when asked.

Palace conceded three times inside the opening 10 minutes at Brighton on Sunday. Palace had not lost so heavily to their rivals at any point after January 1956. Sage called the opening “completely not normal” and said the team “started really bad”.

He took the blame. “We played so bad it’s my fault,” Sage said. “I prepare the team, that is why I am responsible of what’s happened on the pitch.” Asked about his emotions, he said “shame” was the only one. “When you play this kind of game you have to show another face. It was our worst face.”

An Apology to the Fans

Sage directed part of his message at the Palace supporters. “I just want to apologise to the fans,” he said. He told them the team “were not at the level we expected” and said “we didn’t show that today it was really important for us too. We didn’t understand in which context this game was played.”

Sky Sports reports that Palace have no immediate plans to make a change, though Sage could not give assurances that he had the club’s full support after such a bitter loss to a local rival. Chairman Steve Parish recently said the club was on “high alert” as it moves from the era of Oliver Glasner into the one under Sage. That period brings new players and a first Europa League campaign.

The Numbers Behind the Pressure

Palace sit 14th with two wins from seven Premier League games. Their 17 goals conceded are the most in the top flight. In all competitions, Sage has won four of his 10 games in charge, drawn one and lost five. The 47-year-old arrived in the summer after guiding Lens to the French Cup and second place in Ligue 1 last season, and he spent time at Lyon before that.

The standard he follows is high. Under Glasner, Palace had the most successful spell in their history. They lifted the FA Cup for the first time in 2025 and then won the Conference League.

Sage has drawn criticism for his attacking approach, and the defence has changed a great deal. Palace sold Daniel Munoz and Maxence Lacroix over the summer, two big figures in the success under Glasner. Marc Guehi had already left for Manchester City in January. Palace brought in centre-backs Axel Disasi and 18-year-old Honest Ahanor on loan, while Anan Khalaili arrived from Union Saint-Gilloise and his signing ended up opening the door for Munoz to leave.

A Busy Week to Respond

The answers will have to come quickly. Palace, who have one win and one loss from their first two Europa League matches, travel to Turkey on Thursday to face Besiktas. They host Newcastle on Sunday 25 October, visit Fulham in the Carabao Cup on 28 October and go to Tottenham on 31 October. Hoffenheim visit Selhurst Park in the Europa League on 5 November.

Sage has told the fans he is sorry and told the club it is his fault. What he has not been able to say is how long he will have to prove it.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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