Pierre Sage faces Matthias Jaissle as Crystal Palace eye restart

Pierre Sage arrives with Crystal Palace and Matthias Jaissle with Newcastle on the back of the same headache: results that don’t match expectations. Palace have conceded 17 goals in seven Premier League matches and were heavily beaten last week by Brighton, while Newcastle are still struggling to control games, with no league clean sheet for 13 outings.

Pressure mounts at Selhurst Park

Steve Parish is not fully convinced by Sage and, as The Guardian reports, demanded defensive improvements after the Brighton defeat. The match against Newcastle is described as crucial for his future, with Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna among the names discussed if the club changes course.

Newcastle’s style under scrutiny

Newcastle paid £9.5m compensation for Jaissle and the Saudi ownership wants a return to Europe. The club likes Jaissle’s management style and collaboration, but criticism grows around high-risk pressing and tactics that can leave Nico González overrun, especially with central defenders not at their best.