Pierre Sage is the first Premier League managerial casualty of the season.
Crystal Palace’s defeat to Liverpool was their fourth successive in the league and leaves the South London club bottom of the table heading into the international break.
Oliver Glasner, the most successful manager in the club’s history was always going to be a tough act to follow, whilst appointing Sage, who had enjoyed some success in France with Lens but had no experience of English football was always a gamble.
It is one that has clearly not paid off, although Sage will point out to the fact that the club’s transfer decisions restricted his room for movement, selling Maxence Lacroix without bringing in an adequate replacement in the heart of defence.
And the club’s Europa League commitments also placed a strain on an already thin squad.
But dressing room disagreements over tactics, and falling out with a powerful chairman did not nothing to make Sage’s position more secure.
The only surprise is that it has taken this long for a Premier League club to make up their mind to part company with their manager.
He will not be the last certainly this season and could, in fact, just be the first domino to fall.
Wins for Nottingham Forest and Sunderland seem to have bought Glasner and Régis Le Bris some time, whilst there seems to be no appetite at Manchester United to replace Michael Carrick, despite the fact that the Old Trafford side will spend the next two weeks in the relegation zone.
But the cost of dropping into the Championship is just too great, with the loss of revenue and prestige that it entails. Nor are there any guarantees of an immediate return. Luton and Leicester, who were Premier League clubs just a few seasons ago are now in League One, whilst Burnley may be headed there.
Meanwhile, Thomas Frank may be given the chance to resurrect his managerial career by taking over from Sage. He will know what is at stake and the price of failure as well. If he fails to turn round Palace’s fortunes then, at some stage, he could be another domino to fall.
