Not Just Sage: Crystal Palace Must Axe Strand Larsen and McNeil As Well

· GiveMeSport

Crystal Palace are considering sacking Pierre Sage, and two players should follow him out the door if he does go.

Crystal Palace have endured a dismal start to the new season, and Steve Parish is subsequently considering parting ways with manager Pierre Sage.

The Eagles sit one point above the relegation zone after eight matches, having won just two league games under their new boss. Sunday's dire defeat at home to Newcastle United raised alarm bells, with the lack of ingenuity in the final third, combined with defensive vulnerability, a real concern for the South Londoners.

If they're not careful, Palace could easily find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle for much of this season, particularly as they look to cope with the demands of Europa League football alongside their domestic matches.

It's therefore no surprise that chairman Parish is weighing up Sage's future . Act early, and they have a chance of not only avoiding a relegation battle altogether, but mounting an assault on the top half.

The squad is certainly good enough to charge up the table, but it needs an injection of new ideas tactically.

That said, there are a couple of players who simply aren't at the level and need to be moved on in January.

Sage's Record as Crystal Palace Boss (All Competitions)

- Matches: 12 - Wins: 4 - Draws: 2 - Losses: 6 - Win Percentage: 33.3% - Goals For: 20 - Goals Against: 24

Eyebrows were raised when Palace opted to splash upwards of £48 million on Jorgen Strand Larsen in January. The Norwegian centre-forward had scored just one league goal in his final 22 Premier League appearances for Wolves, so the scepticism around this outlay was certainly reasonable.

He's done very little to alleviate these doubts during his time in South London so far. Netting just four league goals in 21 appearances for Palace, he hasn't shown himself to be an adequate competitor for Jean-Philippe Mateta.

In fact, it's become increasingly clear that he won't ever be capable of usurping the Frenchman, while his minutes should arguably be allocated to Eddie Nketiah instead. The former Arsenal man certainly isn't prolific, but he is a more natural tactical fit for what this Palace squad is set up to do.

The Eagles are made to contest possession in the middle third, before springing quick counter-attacks through their talismanic midfield distributor, Adam Wharton. Their striker needs to offer a threat in behind, so that Wharton has someone who can receive his progressive passes. Nketiah is capable of making dynamic forward runs, while Strand Larsen likes the ball to feet with his back to a defender.

Strand Larsen's Statistics 2025/26 (League Only)

- Appearances: 36 - Goals: 4 - Assists: 1 - Shots per 90: 1.71 - Expected Goals per 90: 0.21 - Key Passes per 90: 0.39 - Passes Completed per 90: 12.4

The striker in Palace's system also needs to be capable of combining quickly with those around him, so that the team can quickly move the ball up the field with neat, intricate combinations. Strand Larsen can be a physical threat in the box, but he offers very little in possession and build-up.

Clearly, he isn't a good fit, and he isn't prolific enough to make up for the tactical inefficiencies he brings to this Palace side. They must sell him in January.

Another bizarre piece of business Palace have conducted in recent windows was to swap Brennan Johnson for Dwight McNeil in the summer . Like Strand Larsen, McNeil isn't a bad player with no useful attributes, but his attributes aren't particularly useful to the way Palace play.

Johnson flattered to deceive in a Palace shirt after his January arrival, but he was at least a natural alternative to Ismaila Sarr. The Senegalese winger is tasked with making off-ball runs and getting on the end of moves inside the opposition's box, whilst he has very little responsibility in build-up.

Palace boss Sage is under growing pressure after a crushing derby defeat

Instead, the Palace hierarchy opted to trade this squad option for a much more inadequate squad option in McNeil, who does none of the things Sarr does well. This was a strange choice which they should attempt to undo in the upcoming winter window.

All Statistics via TransferMarkt and FotMob - correct as of 26/10/2026

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