Steve Parish, Crystal Palace chairman, is said to have given French coach Pierre Sage two games to save his job. Senegalese winger Ismaïla Sarr, like Jean-Philippe Mateta, has been singled out for his physical limitations.
According to Football Écologie France, chairman Steve Parish has reportedly placed the French coach under a two-match ultimatum. The decision follows the heavy 5-0 defeat in the M23 derby against Brighton.
The first test comes this Thursday in European competition, with a trip to Istanbul to face Beşiktaş. The following weekend, the Eagles take on Newcastle in a Premier League clash. Those two fixtures could seal Pierre Sage’s future in the London dugout.
A defence in peril
Crystal Palace’s defence is at the heart of the criticism. With 17 goals conceded in seven Premier League matchdays, the club has the worst record in the English top flight, according to Football Écologie France. The Eagles have picked up just two Premier League wins since the start of the 2026-2027 season.
The uncompensated departures of Marc Guéhi and Maxence Lacroix have unbalanced the Londoners’ back line, again according to Football Écologie France. That defensive fragility is weighing on the start of the season: the club sits in an anonymous 14th place in the table, according to Foot-Direct.
Sarr and Mateta in the firing line
The coaching staff must contend with the physical limitations of its attacking stars. Senegalese winger Ismaïla Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta are among those targeted by the criticism, Football Écologie France reports.
The remarks come as the team needs points and the defence can no longer keep up. The staff will therefore have to find answers both physically and collectively.
An uncertain future
Behind the scenes, the club has reportedly already begun discreet soundings to identify four potential successors in the event of another failure, according to TEAMtalk. The information should be treated with caution, but it reflects the tension around the Crystal Palace dugout.
The match in Istanbul is the immediate test of how the group responds, according to Football Écologie France. The clash with Newcastle the following weekend will be the second deadline of the ultimatum.