Crystal Palace has sacked manager Pierre Sage after just 16 matches and five months in the job, the club confirmed. Palace are currently bottom of the Premier League, and the dismissal followed Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Selhurst Park, their fourth consecutive home league loss.
The Eagles have recorded only two wins in their first 10 league games and hold the worst defensive record in the league with 24 goals conceded. Results in Europe have been no better: Palace are 21st in the Europa League table of 36 teams, with one win in four matches played. They have not won in the league since 11 October, and their losing streak began with a 5-0 defeat to arch-rivals Brighton, after which Sage said he felt "shame" over the loss.
Sage took over the club in June, signing a three-year contract, succeeding Oliver Glasner who left at the end of last season. Glasner brought Palace their first FA Cup title and Europa Conference League trophy, and now manages Nottingham Forest. In his career, Sage led Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and the club's first French Cup win in 120 years. At Palace, he won five of 16 matches across all competitions.
Injuries did not help his cause, and the absence of forwards Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr further complicated matters. In the defeat to Liverpool, Palace hit the woodwork and had a goal disallowed. After the match, Sage admitted he did not know if he would be given time to turn the club's fortunes around. Three members of his coaching staff also left the club with him - Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard.
Sage is the second manager sacked in the Premier League this season; Manchester United dismissed Michael Carrick on Thursday. Thomas Frank, former manager of Brentford and Tottenham, is in talks to take over at Palace. Tottenham sacked Frank in February after just under eight months, leaving the club in 16th place in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone, after a run of eight matches without a win.
Palace's next league match is away at Coventry on 21 November, following the international break.
