For any football manager to do well, there are plenty of responsibilities away from the training pitch. Recruitment, media duties and communication with the medical team all play their part. But for Crystal Palace boss Pierre Sage, coaching remains the most important part of the job.
Pierre Sage believes his biggest strength has always been his approach to training. That has helped him progress from academy coaching to managing at the highest level in France and England with Crystal Palace.
Pierre Sage explains his coaching philosophy
“I think my first skill is the methodology of training,” Sage said as reported by the Palace official site.
“This is why, when I was first working as a head coach, I think some guys still considered me more of an assistant.
“I loved to be on the training pitch. That’s why when I first became the academy director at Lyon, I changed all the training methodology.”
His time at Lyon then changed unexpectedly. After the first-team manager was dismissed, Sage was initially asked to take charge for just two matches as interim boss.
That temporary spell kept extending. Two games became three, then four and five as results and performances continued to improve.
Sage eventually earned the opportunity to continue, despite never expecting to take the job on a permanent basis.
“At the beginning of my time as interim manager there, a lot of people thought the club would go down. I think there was some analysis done that gave us 0% chance of staying up.”
Instead, Lyon finished in the Europa League qualification places and reached the cup final.
“It was amazing.
“But having that belief is so important.”
Pierre Sage hopes to turn the fortunes at Crystal Palace as the club enjoys recent domestic and continental success after years of trophy drought.
