Pierre Sage is under pressure and rightfully so for Crystal Palace’s poor start. But is he the only one responsible for the poor start?
Palace have just seven points from eight Premier League games and are without a win in their last four matches. While the on pitch problems are mostly attributed to Pierre Sage but questions have risen over the roles behind the scenes.
Crystal Palace sporting director Matt Hobbs has already attracted criticism from supporters over the summer transfer window, and there could now be questions over his decisions behind the scenes.
Matt Hobbs is facing growing scrutiny as the club looks at its problems following a poor start to the season under Pierre Sage.
Matt Hobbs pushing for Rob Edwards appointment
According to Football Insider, Hobbs is backing Rob Edwards as a potential replacement if Palace decide to sack Sage. The pair worked together at Wolves, where Edwards was the manager.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Transfer Insider podcast, Callum O’Connell explained the situation surrounding Hobbs and the possible appointment.
“I’ve been told that it is Matt Hobbs, the director of football, who was at Wolves with Edwards, who is really sort of pushing for that one to go through if Sage is sacked.
“We’ll see sort of how much influence he has on that I suppose. But I think Hobbs himself might be under a little bit of pressure at Palace.
“I know that a lot of the fans aren’t necessarily happy. Whether those views are shared sort of internally remains to be seen.”
Palace transfer window comes under scrutiny
Hobbs’ position could become part of a wider review if the club decide to make a change in the dugout. Palace have struggled defensively this season with the most goals conceded this season, while questions have also been raised about whether the summer transfer window was good enough for Pierre Sage to work with.
O’Connell believes the club would need to examine its own decisions before placing all the blame on the manager.
“Crystal Palace will have to look inwardly if they are to sack Sage, because the board have also got things wrong, and they will want to assess where they went wrong.
“It was a disappointing transfer window for them in terms of first-team signings, and they’ve not got things right with Sage, so the sporting director could come under fire, and he may not be the only one.”
Sage remains under pressure after the defeats to Brighton and Newcastle, but the scrutiny is no longer limited to the manager. If Palace decide to sack Sage, it may put more scrutiny on Hobbs and the decisions made before and during his arrival could also come under the spotlight.
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