Crystal Palace head coach Pierre Sage is facing mounting pressure, but he sees the current struggles as an opportunity to grow as a coach and build a foundation for future success. The Carabao Cup win at Fulham on Wednesday night brought some relief after four games without a win across all competitions, and a step into the quarter-finals eased scrutiny that had been rising since a 5-0 defeat at rivals Brighton earlier this month.
Following the glory years under Oliver Glasner, the start of the Sage era had set off alarm bells in some quarters. Sage, however, believes these difficult days can provide the platform to launch from. "Maybe you will think my answer is crazy but I think it's an opportunity for me to become a better coach," he told Sky Sports. He said he wants to challenge his own ideas and adapt his approach, stressing that results matter most and that the team needs to change to become the side it is capable of being.
Sage reckons Palace began to look more like the team he wants them to be in the second half at Craven Cottage. He is convinced the work being done behind the scenes is setting the club up for positive weeks ahead. "A lot of time you think you work for nothing but you work always for tomorrow," he said. "You create the roots of something big."
On Saturday, Palace face another side hoping to turn around a difficult start, Tottenham Hotspur, managed by Roberto De Zerbi. Sage knows De Zerbi well, having travelled to Italy earlier in his career to study his methods. "He was a model for a long time," Sage said. Achieving his own distinctive style in south London will take time, but he is confident that commitment to the process and unity around the club will get the job done.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing