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Fixing Crystal Palace: Four things Pierre Sage could do to steady the ship

Palace's head coach is under pressure to turn around his team's fortunes. These are some of the moves he could make…

Published: Wednesday, 21 October 2026 at 4:23 AM
Fixing Crystal Palace: Four things Pierre Sage could do to steady the ship
Key Things to Know
  • The article outlines four tactical adjustments Pierre Sage could make to halt Crystal Palace's defensive decline.
  • Crystal Palace conceded 17 goals across their first seven Premier League matches, including a 5-0 defeat to Brighton.
  • Suggested changes include playing a lower defensive block and establishing a settled back-three defensive unit.
The Story in 60 Seconds

Pierre Sage is facing mounting scrutiny at Crystal Palace after his side conceded 17 goals across seven Premier League fixtures, highlighted by a 5-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion. With matches against Besiktas and Newcastle United approaching, the article outlines four potential tactical adjustments the manager could implement to arrest Palace's defensive slump and maintain backing from the club's board.

The proposed measures include adopting a deeper defensive block to relieve backline pressure, establishing a settled back three with Axel Disasi and Takehiro Tomiyasu returning, rebalancing the midfield, and potentially reinstating Jean-Philippe Mateta over Jorgen Strand Larsen. The piece also suggests returning club captain Dean Henderson to the starting goalkeeper role.

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