Crystal Palace plotting move to hire 3-4-2-1 Sage replacement

Crystal Palace are now looking to replace manager Pierre Sage, who has taken just seven points from his opening seven matches as a Premier League manager.

Sage had big shoes to fill, given that Oliver Glasner won three trophies during his time at Selhurst Park, and he has so far been unable to deliver, with Palace winning just two of their first seven league games this season.

Perhaps even more concerningly, the Eagles actually have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, after suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat at the hands of rivals Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend.

As such, even though the Sage era has only just gotten underway, the former Lens manager is already fighting to save his job, with the board now lining up a move for a replacement, and a former Premier League manager has now emerged as a target.

Crystal Palace considering move for Rob Edwards

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Crystal Palace are now considering a move for ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Rob Edwards, as sporting director Matt Hobbs is known to be a big fan.

However, Edwards is far from the only option under consideration, with Scott Parker, Kieran McKenna and Vitor Matos also of interest, and the latter could be a particularly exciting option, considering his Swansea City side are currently sitting top of the Championship table.

Edwards, on the other hand, is out of work, after being dismissed by Wolves in the summer, and unlike Matos, the Welshman has already built up experience in the Premier League, having taken charge of 65 top flight matches.

That said, the 43-year-old doesn’t exactly have a stellar record in the Premier League, having averaged just 0.68 points per match, and he was also relegated during his time with Luton Town.

In fairness, keeping the Hatters in the top tier was always going to be a tall order, and the ex-Luton boss, who prefers to use a 3-4-2-1 formation, has received plaudits for the job he did from journalist Henry Hill.

However, appointing a manager with two relegations on his CV would still be a gamble for Palace, who could arguably do better, given that they have Europa League football on offer, having won the FA Cup, Community Shield and Europa Conference League over the previous two seasons.