Pierre Sage says he feels ‘shame’ after Crystal Palace thrashing

Pierre Sage said he felt “shame” after Crystal Palace’s 5-0 defeat by Brighton, with his future as manager uncertain. He admitted he did not know whether he would be given time to turn the situation around. Asked if he would get the chance to reverse the team’s poor form, he replied: “I don’t know.”

The heavy defeat was shaped by a difficult start: Sage’s side conceded three goals in the opening 10 minutes. “We started really badly. It’s not normal to concede three goals in this kind of game after nine minutes,” he said. He also accepted responsibility for the performance: “It’s my fault because I’m the coach. I gave them the motivation, I prepared the situations. We played so badly that it’s my fault.”

Sage apologised to the supporters, saying the team had fallen short of its own expectations and had not shown that the match mattered to them too. “Only one feeling: shame. When you play this kind of game, you have to show another face. We showed our worst,” he added. He said he understood the supporters and could not blame them. The manager also said he had a lot of work to do to change this kind of performance and would always give his best.

The pressure is also reflected in Crystal Palace’s Premier League position: 14th, with two wins from seven matches, and 17 goals conceded, the most in the division. Since Sage took charge, the club have won four of his 10 games, drawn one and lost five. The Brighton defeat was their fourth in seven league rounds.

The backdrop is a contrast with the previous season: Sage had guided Lens to the French Cup and second place in Ligue 1. Before his arrival, Oliver Glasner had led Palace to the FA Cup, the club’s first in 2025, and then the Conference League title in May, according to BBC Sport.

Crystal Palace are next away to Besiktas in Turkey on Thursday in the Europa League, where they have one win and one defeat from two matches. They return to Premier League action on Sunday, at home against Newcastle.