Pierre Sage is facing a fight to save his Crystal Palace job after Saturday’s 5-0 home defeat to Brighton left the club’s hierarchy ‘deeply concerned’, according to TeamTalk. The 47-year-old Frenchman, who joined Palace from Lyon at the start of the season, now faces two fixtures — against Besiktas and Newcastle United — that could prove decisive for his future at Selhurst Park.

Palace sit 14th in the Premier League table following the result, and while The Athletic reports that the board are not currently piling pressure on Sage and intend to give him time, TeamTalk suggests that discussions about potential replacements have already begun.

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TeamTalk names four candidates who could step in should Palace move on from Sage. Vitor Matos, the current Swansea City boss, leads the list. The 38-year-old Portuguese manager has been in charge of the Championship leaders since November 2025 and holds a contract at the Welsh club until 2030. His work in the second tier has drawn attention from several clubs above him.

Three candidates without clubs are also mentioned. Scott Parker, 46, has been out of management since leaving Burnley in April 2026. Kieran McKenna, 40, earned considerable praise for his work at Ipswich Town between 2021 and 2026 before leaving. Rob Edwards, meanwhile, could not prevent Wolverhampton Wanderers from suffering relegation last season.

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The next two matches will almost certainly define whether Sage gets the opportunity to turn the situation around. Back-to-back defeats against Besiktas and Newcastle United could exhaust what patience remains within the Crystal Palace hierarchy.

Sage himself recently told AFP that his story with Lyon is ‘not finished’, though the French club currently have Paulo Fonseca in charge with his contract running to June 2027. A return to France cannot be ruled out, but a swift re-emergence in the Premier League looks unlikely if Palace end the relationship on the back of a run of poor results.