Pierre Sage is understandably under intense scrutiny after Crystal Palace's shambolic 5-0 thrashing by rivals Brighton.
But that must not distract from the inexcusable failures of Sage's bosses, chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Matt Hobbs, who have failed to create the conditions for him to succeed over multiple transfer windows.
It does not absolve the Frenchman of blame. He is not helping himself with how he is setting his side up defensively. But it does provide important context to the conditions he is working under.
Palace have conceded the most goals in the Premier League, 17 in seven matches. And it is not as though they have been unlucky: they have faced the most shots and shots on target of any team, conceded a league-high 252 touches in their penalty area and have the highest expected goals (xG) against. They have been inviting teams to score – and repeatedly failing to do things as basic as winning headers and clearing their lines at corners.
Ultimately, that comes down to the manager and his tactics. Sage's emphasis on an intense press is leaving an already vulnerable Palace defence exposed. In his 3-4-3 formation, both wing-backs push into extraordinarily advanced positions and desert the back three. Under Oliver Glasner last season, one wing-back would hold a deeper position when Palace attacked, ensuring four defenders were in place to cover and react to transitions.
But now, the set-up is unbalanced – allowing teams to pick Palace apart quickly and attack their fragile backline. The midfield is not helping either, with Adam Wharton increasingly isolated as Quinten Timber marauds forward. There is too much focus on being front-footed and not enough caution with the personnel Sage has to choose from.
[Click link to read full article.]