Sean Dyche emerges as Crystal Palace frontrunner as Pierre Sage faces sack pressure

Dyche installed as leading candidate as Palace weigh up Sage's future

Sean Dyche has emerged as the front-runner to take charge of Crystal Palace should the club decide to part company with Pierre Sage, according to The Telegraph. The speculation follows Sunday's damaging 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle United at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles are also examining a range of potential replacements for Sage, talkSPORT reports, as the pressure intensifies on the Frenchman following a torrid run of form.

A difficult inheritance

Sage, who took over from Oliver Glasner in the summer, was always facing a stern task. Glasner departed having won three trophies in the space of 12 months, and there had been early disquiet among supporters about the change in direction. Captain Dean Henderson, who signed a contract extension, had previously urged fans to "park the negativity" as the club sought to build momentum.

An encouraging Europa League debut win over Lech Poznan briefly lifted the mood, but the recent Premier League form has undone that goodwill. Following the Newcastle reverse — a result greeted with boos from the Selhurst Park crowd — Palace have now failed to win any of their past four games and sit in the bottom four of the Premier League with the division's worst defensive record.

"Just noise"

Sage has attempted to bat away the speculation, insisting the rumours about his future are "just noise". He added, according to the BBC: "There is no noise inside the club."

Whether the backing from the hierarchy holds remains to be seen, but with Dyche installed as the leading candidate across the newspapers, Sage's position looks increasingly precarious.