Pierre Sage stood by himself on the Selhurst Park pitch for the first time before a game in a contemplative mood.
He was “not here for toys,” he said. The new Crystal Palace manager was not focused on savouring the emotion, the occasion or the atmosphere of the build up, but on preparing the final parts of how he would approach the game against Manchester City.
As he gazed upon Selhurst, the players warmed up, the mascots ran around and Pete the Eagle flapped around excitedly.
Some things haven’t changed, but many have. Sage’s presence at Selhurst is the most obvious after Oliver Glasner’s departure.
From kick-off the atmosphere was different. Gone were the Holmesdale Fanatics and the familiar, repetitive beat of the drum and their repertoire of orchestrated songs, after the group announced it would “stop all organised activity”. Gone are most of the modern add-ons to the Main Stand, a temporary hospitality suite built while the redevelopment of the stadium is ongoing.
There was no HF, no Jean-Philippe Mateta — disaffected, desperate to leave and in dispute with Palace over his contract situation but not available because he is out for at least four weeks with a hamstring injury — and no Ismaila Sarr, officially out with a groin injury but also unsettled by transfer interest. No Marc Guehi in a Palace shirt. No Maxence Lacroix. No Daniel Munoz in the starting line-up.
So much was different at Selhurst for this opening home game of the season. Some of it has been enforced, but it begs the question of how much change Palace can withstand and, perhaps more pertinently, how quickly that can shift to familiarity again?
It is clear why Palace will not even contemplate selling Sarr. For all the huffing and puffing for Eddie Nketiah and Yeremy Pino and, even accounting for the latter’s outstanding free kick to pull a goal back, they are not strong enough in the No 10 position without his efficiency, directness and finishing ability.
Six goals have been conceded in two games and, while they coped without Guehi in the second half of last season, the departure of Lacroix to Chelsea this summer has left them with less charisma, some lack of leadership. Of those who started the FA Cup final, only five were in the XI for this 4-1 defeat. One of those starters at Wembley in May last year — Guehi — featured for the opposition.
Selhurst didn’t just look different but it felt different. The atmosphere ebbed and flowed more naturally but in the difficult moments it missed that orchestrated HF presence when it mattered most. By the fourth City goal, the empty seats told their own story.
Six players have arrived this summer and two have left, with a third in Munoz likely to follow. Sage has swapped Lens for London, he is adjusting to a new city, club and is trying to convey his message in a non-native language.
It was impossible for the process of following on from Glasner to click straight away. Sage requested patience, he deserves it. But it is not available in abundance from everyone. The intensive attacking approach is a contrast to Glasner’s more transition-based style, but it has left Palace extremely vulnerable defensively.
It will take time for Pierre Sage to settle at Crystal Palace (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Change is part of the Palace strategy. Sustainability can only be achieved through buying, developing and selling players. But it is not straightforward.
There are concerns, not least the defensive issues and the attacking profligacy. But Sage has said he remains committed to his ideas. There will be no more change away from that, instead there will be reinforcement for a squad that has been together for so little time.
The three-week international break in September ought to give Sage an opportunity to work with some of his players but until then he must muddle through to impart his ideas. There have been more proactive substitutions, earlier in game, with varying degrees of success but at the very least it has afforded more players more minutes which should help those new arrivals to better settle in due course.
Encouragement has, though, given way to despair among some supporters in the past 24 hours. Munoz’s potential departure, Mateta’s injury, Chadi Riad’s ACL injury, the threat of Joel Ordonez’s transfer from Club Brugge falling through and the withdrawal of the HF had some feeling that change was not such a good thing, that they would be reluctant to even turn up to see their side face City.
By full time their mood was unlikely to have improved. Yet Sage at least focused on the positives in his post-match press conference.
“You saw how we want to play for 60-65 minutes this time,” he said. “Last time it was 45 minutes. In the next game we will be able to play in the way we decided. We are late in our pre-season and that’s why we need to continue (in the same way).”
That is valid and in parts of this game Palace were excellent, taking it to City and playing aesthetically attractive football that created opportunities. Change has come and there will be more before the transfer window closes, but the good moments showed that change can be a positive thing, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
Nevertheless, the constants on Friday night were Palace’s failings in front of goal and City coming away with all three points. There are reasons to believe things will settle down but there is work to do.
