Crystal Palace Sack Pierre Sage After 16 Games, Close-in-on Thomas Frank

Crystal Palace have sacked manager Pierre Sage after just 16 matches in charge, with former Tottenham and Brentford boss Thomas Frank emerging as the leading candidate to replace him.

The decision followed Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool, which extended Palace’s losing run in the Premier League to four matches.

Sage’s dismissal comes amid a difficult start to the campaign, with Palace winning only two of their opening 10 league matches and conceding 24 goals, the highest tally in the division.

The Eagles are also struggling in the Europa League, sitting 21st in the 36-team standings with just one victory from four matches.

The club confirmed that Sage’s assistants, Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard, had also left their positions.

Palace thanked the Frenchman and his coaching staff for their contributions, adding that further details about the process of appointing a new manager would be communicated in due course.

However, Frank is already in advanced negotiations with the south London club over a possible move to Selhurst Park.

Sage, 47, was appointed in June on a three-year contract following Oliver Glasner’s departure at the end of last season.

He arrived at Palace with an impressive reputation after guiding Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and their first French Cup triumph in the club’s 120-year history.

However, he struggled to replicate Glasner’s success, with the Austrian having led Palace to FA Cup and Europa Conference League glory before leaving for Nottingham Forest.

Palace have not won a league match since 11 October, with their slump beginning with a humiliating 5-0 defeat by Brighton.

Following that loss, Sage admitted feeling “shame” and expressed uncertainty over whether he would be given enough time to reverse the club’s fortunes.

Although injuries and the absences of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr complicated his task, the club’s poor run continued with three more defeats.

Palace showed some resistance against Liverpool, hitting the crossbar and having a goal ruled out, but the defeat proved to be Sage’s final match in charge.

He managed five victories in 16 matches across all competitions.

Sage becomes the second Premier League manager to lose his job this season, following Manchester United’s dismissal of Michael Carrick on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Frank is seeking another opportunity in the Premier League after being sacked by Tottenham in February, less than eight months into his tenure.

The Dane left Spurs in 16th place, five points above the relegation zone, following an eight-match winless run.

Palace will next face Coventry away from home on 21 November after the international break.