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Crystal Palace head coach Pierre Sage has sensationally admitted he is already fearing for his future after the Eagles were humiliated by rivals Brighton on Sunday. There were only 10 minutes on the clock when Palace found themselves 3-0 down at the AMEX Stadium, which soon became four after half-time. A late Jack Hinshelwood goal capped off a stunning performance for the hosts, who recorded their biggest victory over Palace in 70 years. But while optimism is high on the south coast, 44 miles up the M23, the Premier League table makes for bleak reading as far as Sage and Palace are concerned.
With just seven points from the first seven matches this term, Palace are only two points above the drop zone. Things don’t get much easier for them in the Premier League, with Newcastle United, Tottenham and Liverpool to come in their next three matches.
And as such, Sage cut a desolate figure when asked if he’ll be in charge of turning Palace’s current slump around. Responding with just three words, the Frenchman said: “I don’t know.”
He went on to offer an apology to the fans, saying: “We are not at the level we expected, and I’m really sorry for that. I just want to apologise to the fans because it’s not normal to show this face.
“I cannot blame anybody because we didn’t do the job in a good way. I’m responsible for this team, and when the team play as today, it’s not normal. It’s my fault. I understand them.”
The Europa League has provided some respite this year, with Palace having won their opening match against Lech Poznan, while serving up a spirited performance vs Lyon in mid-week. Their next outing is in that competition, with the south London outfit making the trip to Istanbul to play Besiktas.
Looking ahead to the match, the ex-Lens manager said: “The first work to do is on me. I’m responsible for what’s happened on the pitch, and I have a lot of work to do because I have to change this kind of thing.
“It’s maybe in the preparation, in the way we give them the motivation to start the game just before in the locker room in the warm-up. We have to analyse that because it’s not normal. And today it was really at the highest level we cannot expect, and that’s the moment to change the thing.”
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