Pierre Sage makes sack admission as Crystal Palace future hangs in balance after Tottenham defeat

Palace were comfortbaly beaten at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with goals from Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke ensuring Spurs took advantage of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early red card.Sage is under increasing pressure to turn things around, with Palace mired in the relegation zone after winning one of their first nine league games, but he insists he will continue to fight for his future.Asked if he was aware of the Eagles’ league position, Sage cut a defiant tone but added it was not up to him whether he kept his job.Under pressure: Pierre SagePA“I am really aware of the situation,” Sage said.“I don’t like this situation. [But] you can trust in me, I will never give up. I want to be the first on the pitch on Monday. I have the rage to train more. It’s not me to decide this thing [my future]. If I have one hour, I will give my best for one hour. If I have ten years, I will give my best for ten years.”Steve Parish was in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Standard Sport understands he also made a rare appearance in the home dressing room to speak to Sage after their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle last weekend.Relegation fears are deepening for Palace, and Sage acknowledges that dropping down to the Championship would be a disaster for the club after their third successive defeat in the league."Yes, [relegation], it’s a disaster for every club in the Premier League and especially that I have to speak about my club. You know I’m not comfortable with the situation in the table, but it’s a consequence of what we did bad on the pitch,” the Frenchman continued.“My only action is on the team and on the pitch. That is why I can speak about the situation of the club in the table, of my situation, because it’s a consequence to of this, but my only way to change a thing is to go on the pitch. That is why I talk to the players and I want to be the first on the pitch on Monday. They can trust in me.“I will never give up. I will do the best session I can do on Monday because now I have the rage to train more because the game I saw was not in line with my conviction. “I don’t like when we let the initiative too much to the opponent. I was really impressed by what I see of the other team, and I like this kind of play. I know we are not the same team, but we are able to do things with the ball, and we have to improve that."