October 19 2026

Selhurst Park

A 5-0 defeat at the Amex has put Pierre Sage's future in question, but the case for patience is stronger than the scoreline suggests, writes Ashley Mortimer.

There are bad defeats, and then there are defeats at Brighton. Palace were three goals down inside the first ten minutes at the Amex on Sunday and went on to lose 5-0, Brighton's biggest win over their rivals since 1956. Hundreds of away fans left before the end, and those who stayed made their feelings clear.

Pierre Sage did not hide from it. "I prepare the team, so I'm responsible for what happened on the pitch," he said afterwards. Asked whether he would be given time to put things right, he replied: "I don't know." He also made the point that "that's not my decision".

Seven games in, Palace are 14th with seven points, two clear of the relegation zone. "Sage in or out" is the question dominating the message board this week, and the bookmakers have their own view. So what is the market saying, and is there still a case for keeping him?

What The Sack Race Market Is Saying

In early June, before his appointment, William Hill had Sage as the 4/7 favourite to become Palace's next manager. Four months later, his name is a regular in the other market. Before the Forest game, he was 9/2 to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post, and after the 3-1 win he drifted out to 8/1. Michael Carrick (6/4) and Alvaro Arbeloa (9/4) headed the list, with Oliver Glasner, now at Forest, just behind Sage at 10/1. Those prices were all set before the trip to the Amex.

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The market reacts to results, reports and the mood around a club, and it has no inside line on what Steve Parish is thinking. A defeat at Brighton moves it for a reason, though. Patrick Vieira was sacked in March 2023, two days after a 1-0 loss at the Amex, and the home fans were quick to remind Sage of that on Sunday. Supporters tempted to bet on their own manager's future should remember it is about as emotional a wager as football offers, and this responsible gambling guide for UK players explains deposit limits, GamStop and where to find free, confidential help.

Why Brighton Hurt More Than Most Defeats

The scoreline was bad enough, but the pattern behind it is the bigger worry. Palace have now conceded inside the first ten minutes in three straight games, with Forest scoring after three minutes at Selhurst and Lyon after eight in the Europa League. At Brighton, the game was effectively over before Palace had settled.

Sage knows it. "It's completely not normal to take three goals in this kind of game after nine minutes," he said, pointing to the preparation and the warm-up as areas to look at. "And the first work is to do is on me." He also apologised to the supporters and admitted to a feeling of "shame". Taking responsibility is the right start, but he will be judged on what changes against Newcastle on Sunday, not on what he says.

The Case For Change

The numbers are hard to ignore. Palace have two league wins from seven and have conceded 17 goals, more than anyone else in the division. In all competitions, Sage's record reads four wins, one draw and five defeats from ten games.

Nor is it simply bad luck. Before the international break, Palace had the worst expected-goals-against figure in the league, according to Fantasy Football Scout, and had lost the expected-goals battle in four of their five league games. Sage changed his back three in every one of those matches, and the defence has never looked settled.

There have been questions about his man-management, too. Jaydee Canvot, Dwight McNeil and Evann Guessand were all left out early in the season, and although Canvot and McNeil have since come back into the side, the episode did little to win over the doubters. None of that makes Sage a lost cause, but it explains why his name keeps appearing in the sack race.

The Case For Patience

Sage did not arrive with a thin CV. At Lyon he took over a side bottom of Ligue 1 in November 2023 and led them to sixth. Last season at Lens he finished second behind PSG, won the club's first-ever French Cup and was named Ligue 1 Manager of the Year. Managers with that record do not usually forget how to coach in four months.

He also inherited a difficult summer. Glasner left after delivering the FA Cup and the Conference League, and Parish described the build-up as "a very fractured pre-season", with players away late after the World Cup and "lots of new players" to bed in. In late September, the chairman was still upbeat: "After seven matches, three wins, three defeats and a draw are by no means a bad start."

There have been good days, too. The 3-2 comeback at Fulham, the 4-0 Europa League win over Lech Poznań and the 3-1 victory over Forest all showed what this side can do. Sage signed a three-year contract in June, and the board brought him over from France for a reason.

What Palace's History Says

Under Parish, Palace have generally given managers time. Roy Hodgson stayed for almost four years after arriving in 2017, Vieira lasted 20 months, and Glasner repaid the club's faith with two trophies.

The exception is a useful warning. Frank de Boer was sacked in September 2017 after just 77 days and four league games, without a single goal. Palace went on to lose their first seven matches of that season without scoring, yet still finished 11th on 44 points. A quick change did not fix things overnight, and a bad autumn did not decide the season.

The Next Six Games Will Decide It

Sage will not have long to make his case. Palace face six games in roughly 17 days before the November international break: Beşiktaş away in the Europa League on Thursday, Newcastle at Selhurst on Sunday, Fulham in the Carabao Cup, a trip to Tottenham, Hoffenheim at home in Europe and then Liverpool.

That break is the natural checkpoint, because it is when clubs tend to make a change if one is coming. By then, Sage needs to have fixed the slow starts, tightened the defence and taken something from Newcastle. Europe matters too. Palace have three points from two games, and a top-24 finish in the 36-team league phase is required to reach the knockout play-offs.

The sack race market will keep moving with every result, as it always does. But on his record and the backing he has had from the board, Sage deserves until November. For now, the answer is "in", and a fast start against Newcastle on Sunday would be the best way for the players to show they agree.