Crystal Palace have sacked Pierre Sage. There remains a bond of goodwill between the Eagles persuasion and the French coach, who simply wasn’t the right fit at this stage of the club’s journey.
It was always going to be difficult for the former Lyon and Lens boss, whose Lens side took Paris Saint-Germain most of the way in a Ligue 1 title battle last season, falling short and finishing second.
Now, Palace have to pivot. They are rock-bottom of the Premier League at the end of a matchweek for the first time since December 2017, and that will hardly do. Could Thomas Frank be the man to drag them out of this crisis?
Why Crystal Palace are hiring Thomas Frank
Frank’s last foray into Premier League management did not go to plan. He was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after 38 matches in all competitions last season, overseeing Spurs’ tumble into relegation danger.
It would be negligible to heap all of the blame onto the Danish coach. It would be foolish to assume he was the crux of their problems. Frank is an experienced and shrewd tactician whose time at the helm with Brentford saw the Bees fly up the ladder, escaping the Championship and becoming one of the best-run outfits in the Premier League.
Brentford’s model has seen them avoid relegation danger across all five of their Premier League seasons. Under Keith Andrews this term, they are currently eighth, with only two losses across ten fixtures.
|
Brentford under Thomas Frank |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Points |
Position |
|
24/25 |
56 |
10th |
|
23/24 |
39 |
16th |
|
22/23 |
59 |
9th |
|
21/22 |
46 |
13th |
|
Promoted to Premier League |
||
|
20/21 |
87 |
3rd |
|
19/20 |
81 |
3rd |
|
18/19 |
64 |
11th |
Frank would take the reins at a Palace side who have shown attacking intent this season, but have lacked nous and solidity when defending.
The Danish manager could fix that, but he could also establish an even sharper attacking system, especially when Ismaila Sarr returns from injury.
What Frank’s appointment means for Ismaila Sarr
Sarr was absent for the majority of the Sage era, such as it was, having been injured and sidelined after seeing a late-transfer window move to Liverpool fall through.
Last season, the Senegal international scored 17 times in all competitions for the south Londoners. He consolidated his position as one of Oliver Glasner’s most important weapons, now having played a crucial role in winning the FA Cup and the Community Shield and the Conference League over the past few years.
Had Sarr been fit and in-form this term, Sage may still be in a job. It doesn’t matter now, of course, but the groin injury which has limited him to only 20 minutes of Premier League action may be behind him soon after the international break.
Sarr can join Jean-Philippe Mateta and co in establishing themselves as top attackers in Frank’s system, but despite the right-winger’s cutting edge, it’s one of his teammates who might end up becoming Frank’s next version of Bryan Mbeumo.
Crystal Palace star will be Frank’s new Mbeumo
Mbeumo is one of the better players in a rotten Manchester United side. At Brentford, the 27-year-old was sharper still, scoring 70 goals and laying on 57 assists across 242 appearances.
Frank once described the Cameroon winger as “unplayable” when on his A-game in the Premier League.
Sarr and Mbeumo have a few shared attributes, but Sarr wanted to leave for Liverpool this summer – and he’s not getting any younger either. With that in mind, Yeremy Pino could become the focal attacker in Frank’s prospective Palace system.
Pino, 23, is something of a “unique talent“, as suggested by journalist Antonio Mango, a technical and agile playmaker with a knack for scoring goals too.
Last season was not a successful one for the Spaniard, who arrived from Villarreal for £26m but failed to find the form which made him his name in his homeland.
In the Premier League, he has struggled, but so have the rest of the Eagles frontline. Out in Europe, though, we’ve been given a glimpse of the talismanic quality which could see Frank – who champions dynamic and versatile attackers – make him his next Mbeumo.
Across four Europa League matches this season, Pino has scored three times. More importantly, his underlying data bespeaks his elite potential, creating two chances, completing 2.3 dribbles and winning six duels on average each game.
Pino is making headway at Crystal Palace this season. In the Premier League, he might not have hit the same heights as out in Europe, but there’s no question that this is a forward with the potential to become a talisman in a more stable and balmy Selhurst Park setting.
