LONDON, United Kingdom, Nov – 12 – Crystal Palace have sacked manager Pierre Sage after just five months in charge, with the club bottom of the Premier League.
Former Brentford and Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is in advanced talks to take over.
Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by Liverpool was Palace’s fourth in succession in the Premier League.
The Eagles have won just two of their opening 10 games and also have the worst defensive record in the league, conceding 24 goals.
Palace are also 21st in the 36-team Europa League table, with one win from their four matches.
In a statement, the club said that three members of Sage’s coaching staff – Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard – had also left the club.
Palace added: “The club thanks Pierre and his staff for their efforts during their time in South London, and wish them well for the future.
“An update on the process of appointing a new manager will be provided in due course.”
Sage is the second Premier League manager to be sacked this season, after Michael Carrick was also dismissed by Manchester United on Thursday.
The 47-year-old Frenchman was appointed on a three-year contract in June after Oliver Glasner departed at the end of last season.
He previously led Lens to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and a first French Cup triumph in their 120-year history.
However, he has been unable to replicate Glasner’s success at Palace. Glasner, now manager of Nottingham Forest, led Palace to a first FA Cup title and a Europa Conference League triumph.
Palace are winless in the league since 11 October and their losing run began with a 5-0 defeat by fierce rivals Brighton.
Sage said afterwards he felt “shame” from the defeat and admitted he did not know if he would be given time to turn Palace’s fortunes around.
However, there was a degree of sympathy from some behind the scenes at Selhurst Park in the immediate aftermath of that loss.
Injuries were not kind to his plans, while the absence of forward players Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr – due to a mixture of fitness and personal issues related to both players’ desire to leave the club – did not help.
However, three successive defeats followed, with Palace hitting the bar and having a goal ruled out in their loss to Liverpool at Selhurst Park.
Sage won five of his 16 games in all competitions.
Palace’s next Premier League match is at Coventry on 21 November, after the international break.
Frank was sacked by Tottenham in February, after just under eight months in charge.
The former Brentford boss left Spurs 16th in the Premier League and five points above the relegation zone following an eight-match winless run in the league.
