Crystal Palace were beaten at Selhurst Park on Saturday, with William Osula and Harvey Barnes scoring in the second half. The result prompted boos from sections of the home support and added to the scrutiny surrounding Sage, who took over from Oliver Glasner during the summer.
The Frenchman has endured a difficult start to his tenure, with Palace struggling to produce consistent results. Asked about his position after the Newcastle match, Sage rejected suggestions that there was turmoil behind the scenes.
“There is no internal unrest at the club,” Sage said.
He acknowledged that the reaction from supporters was understandable given the team’s performances and results, while maintaining that the players and staff were concentrating on improving their displays.
“It is normal to hear boos when you don’t get results. It is a consequence of the team’s results, and right now we are not delivering what we expect,” he said, according to the BBC.
“Internally, we are entirely focused on finding solutions. We have to improve and create the right conditions to perform. We will continue our work, and there is no unrest inside the club.”
The defeat left Palace 17th in the Premier League, just above the relegation zone. Their position has increased the pressure on Sage, who arrived at Selhurst Park with the task of building on the success achieved under Glasner.
Glasner departed after guiding Palace to the Conference League title, leaving Sage with the challenge of maintaining the club’s progress while establishing his own methods. The early results have fallen short of expectations, and the reaction at Selhurst Park reflected the frustration among supporters.
Sage’s response was to emphasise the need for practical improvements rather than focus on speculation about his future. He said the club’s immediate attention was on creating better conditions for the team to compete and deliver the results expected of them.
The manager did not suggest that the pressure would disappear, but he made clear that he intended to continue working with the squad. Palace’s next performances will be important as they attempt to move away from the lower end of the table.
For now, Sage remains in charge and has publicly denied any internal division. The club’s league position means results will remain the main measure of whether Palace can turn their season around.