Sage's thoughts on a big month of matches ahead
Pierre Sage says Crystal Palace must take their upcoming busy run of important fixtures step by step.
Pierre Sage says Crystal Palace must take their upcoming busy run of important fixtures step by step.
The Eagles play seven times between 10th and 31st October – averaging a game every three days – encompassing two UEFA Europa League away days, four Premier League fixtures and a Carabao Cup Round of 32 tie.
Indeed, the next time Palace will be without a midweek fixture will be during the next international window in mid-November – a month away.
In the next week alone, the Eagles will host a Nottingham Forest side led by former manager Oliver Glasner; travel to Olympique Lyonnais to face Sage’s former club in midweek; and then travel to traditional rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, third in the early league table.
But Sage refuses to allow his thoughts to drift beyond the visit of Forest – 13th after five Premier League matches – to Selhurst Park on Sunday.
“It’s step by step,” the Manager said in his embargoed pre-match press conference.
“And as I said when we spoke about our journey, I think we have to be really focused on the first game because the message and the feeling and the team spirit of the first game will influence the second, and the second will influence the third.
“We have to do that not in the way that we have a big week, but only to be focused on the first game – and the first game and a good performance could help us to have good performances in the end.
“It's really important to believe in this kind of thing, because we spoke a lot about confidence and I think the confidence builds with the good performances and the good results. That's why the first game is really important.”
On the fact that Palace’s next two games see the fairly rare occurrence of a manager facing their former club, Sage recalled: “You know I was in the same situation [with RC Lens in Ligue 1] last year. We played against Lyon in the first game and we lost 1-0. I knew all the players.
“But football stays football and the uncertainty of the players is always here. That's why you can know the players, but they decide things on the pitch you cannot know or you cannot anticipate.
“The only thing for me is to keep the respect of my former players, without thinking I'm able to beat every person I work with.”
The Manager also confirmed of Ismaïla Sarr: “[He’s fit enough] maybe not to play 90 minutes, but I think he's able to be in the starting XI.”
He's able to be in the starting XI
—Pierre Sage