Crystal Palace are eyeing a potential move to appoint Kieran McKenna should they make the decision to sack Pierre Sage.

The Eagles have started the season poorly in the Premier League, losing four of their opening seven games, and fans were furious this past weekend as they were thrashed 5-0 by rivals Brighton, with the team trailing 3-0 within the opening 10 minutes.

There have also been concerns about the new manager's ideas and decision-making, having made some questionable substitutions in games, while also publicly clashing with the likes of Jaydee Canvot, Dwight McNeil, and Evann Guessand, which has reportedly upset owner Steve Parish.

After the defeat to Brighton, it has emerged that Sage has now been given two games to save his job at Selhurst Park, or face the sack despite having only taken over from Oliver Glasner in June.

Palace will take on Besiktas in the Europa League on Thursday night in Istanbul, before hosting a struggling Newcastle side on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League. But poor results in those games could force the board's hand.

It's believed that there has been tension between owner Parish and Sage stretching back to the summer transfer window, where Palace were restricted in the market by UEFA's spending limits, which prevented them from bringing in the manager's top targets.

Parish was also left annoyed that Sage substituted Adam Wharton in the defeat to Ipswich last month, but with the club not in any immediate danger, he wants to give Sage the opportunity to turn things around, having acknowledged that injuries and suspensions have played a part.

According to The Guardian, should the club make the decision to make a change after this week's games, then Kieran McKenna and Thomas Frank will be right at the top of the shortlist as candidates to replace him.

Parish Approached 'World-Class' McKenna Previously

According to The Guardian, Crystal Palace owner Parish has previously had an interest in appointing Northern Irish coach McKenna, and there was an approach made to bring him in from Ipswich.

But McKenna, who has been described as 'world-class', is now a free agent after leaving Portman Road in the summer, and could be convinced to return with the right project, having stepped away for a break from football.

Thomas Frank is another candidate, having been unemployed since being sacked by Tottenham, and he is someone who is highly-rated within the corridors at Palace. It remains to be seen if he could be convinced to return to football by the project at Palace, but it's evident that Sage's future looks bleak.