By Freddie Jennings at the Amex Stadium
PIERRE Sage is coming under increasing pressure after Crystal Palace’s demoralising 5-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
The in-form Seagulls were on an entirely different level to their visitors as they flew out of the traps. Pascal Gross sent in a free-kick from the left in the fourth minute which defender Jaydee Canvot headed into his own net and just three minutes later Diego Gomez scored a wonder goal from the halfway line as Palace fans behind Walter Benitez’s goal looked shellshocked.
Yasin Ayari made it three after just ten minutes as more slack Palace defending was punished. Palace held out until half-time but registered little attacking threat all half.
Brighton started the second period as they did the first with Charalampos Kostoulas on the end of Ayari’s cross which Chris Richards failed to clear.
The returning substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta came closest for Palace as he hit the crossbar from close range.
But it was Brighton who rounded off the scoring through a substitute of their own in Jack Hinshelwood. Once again Palace’s inability to defend set-pieces was exposed as Maxim De Cuyper’s corner found Luka Vuskovic who was completely free at the back post. Benitez did well to save his header but the ball fell directly to the Brighton academy graduate to prod home.
The dismal concession of poor goals has become an all-too-familiar theme for Palace this season, as was evidenced here once again. The Eagles midweek European trip to Lyon saw the defence culpable for three poor goals and all but one strike from Gomez were largely avoidable here.
Considering his predecessor Oliver Glasner won on both of his visits to the Amex, Sage naturally came in for criticism. The Frenchman said that he felt “shame” at the final whistle and apologised to supporters.
“I’m really sorry because we didn’t give them what they deserved,” Sage said. “I apologise because we are not Palace today.
“It’s my fault because I am the coach. I gave the motivation. I prepare the situations. We played so bad – it’s my fault.”
Captain Adam Wharton addressed the fact that Palace have now conceded in the third, eighth and fourth minutes of their last three matches. “We’ve had a couple of slow starts and we’re not intentionally doing that and we have to sort it out.”
Such starts have caused Palace immense problems and in their last two fixtures have caused irreparable damage. However, the damage suffered here entered a different realm of humiliation as Brighton recorded their biggest victory against Palace since 1956, dating back to a time when these two clubs weren’t even rivals.
Page made another switch to Palace’s back three as Honest Ahanor stepped in for Jefferson Lerma, who had lined up alongside Canvot and Richards in Palace’s last league game against Forest. Axel Disasi started in France three days before this fixture but was ruled out against Brighton due to suspension.
This means that across all ten fixtures this season Palace haven’t started the same back three once. This lack of consistency is currently plaguing Palace, with an unsettled rearguard lacking the ability to effectively defend balls into the box and set-pieces. The young Italian Ahanor was in the starting XI ahead Lerma, meaning Palace were short on experience for such an important game.
Replacing Glasner was always going to be a tall order but Sage must address this problem quickly as Palace’s current style of football appears to be simply unsustainable. Greater solidity is required for their next trip to Besiktas in the Europa League before they face Newcastle United in the league on Sunday – when a response is desperately needed.
