"Too big for his boots" – Pierre Sage slammed and blamed for Crystal Palace issues

Jérôme Rothen criticises Pierre Sage's management, blaming his inexperience and attitude for Crystal Palace's poor start to the season.

Former France international Jérôme Rothen has launched a scathing critique of Crystal, former Palace manager Pierre Sage, pinning the club's struggles solely on the manager's lack of Premier League experience and what he describes as an inflated ego.

Sage arrived at Selhurst Park after two years at Lyon and a successful spell at RC Lens, where he guided the club to a second-place finish and won the Coupe de France in May. He turned down the opportunity to manage Lens in the Champions League to join Crystal Palace, famously saying he would play in the Champions League "every weekend in the Premier League."

However, Crystal Palace have won only two of their eight league matches and sit 17th in the table. Rothen argues that Sage's attitude is the "main problem," accusing him of contradicting himself and taking excessive credit for his achievements at Lens while now criticising the club for not signing players to his standards. Rothen suggests that had Sage been truly confident, he would have stayed at Lens to play in the Champions League rather than joining a club that finished 15th or 16th the previous season.