According to Bobby Manzi of Daily Mail, following Crystal Palace's 0-0 away draw against Leeds United, manager Pierre Sage appears to have temporarily secured his position. The club had initially planned to assess his future during the three-week international break, but the team's defensive performance in this match has made a managerial change unlikely.

Heading into the match, Sage faced considerable pressure, with some reports suggesting he could become the first Premier League manager sacked this season if Crystal Palace performed poorly.

Sage himself acknowledged the external pressure after the match: "When I look at social media, I feel tremendous pressure. But I don't care about it. I will honestly do my job and give everything within my ability and limits. In the end, I won't regret what I've done."

Although Crystal Palace didn't win, the draw represents a positive step forward following their concession of 11 goals in their first four Premier League matches. The team demonstrated a more cohesive and disciplined defensive display, achieving their first clean sheet under Sage in the Premier League.

This was also Crystal Palace's second consecutive match without conceding. They had previously beaten Lech Poznan 4-0 in a Europa League match on Thursday, but Daily Mail notes the defensive performances differed markedly. In the European contest, Crystal Palace's defense created many opportunities for the opposition, while against Leeds United, their defense was considerably more solid.

Leeds United created very few genuine threats throughout the match. Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a golden opportunity from close range but was superbly denied by Walter Benítez; otherwise, Crystal Palace faced few truly dangerous moments.

Takehiro Tomiyasu played as centre-back in this match and performed excellently in the first half, but he was unable to continue after halftime for undisclosed reasons. Jefferson Lerma came on as a replacement, and Chris Richards subsequently moved to centre-back, yet Crystal Palace's defense remained in control.

This is also an encouraging sign for Sage. Until this season, Crystal Palace's centre-back trio has changed in every Premier League match, resulting in instability and a lack of understanding in defense. But in this match, they showed improvement in their aerial battles and reduced careless loss of possession.

Jeddy Canwo, who didn't start in the previous two matches, showed considerable improvement in this outing and made an important interception in the closing stages to deny Calvert-Lewin a clear shooting opportunity.

Daily Mail states that Crystal Palace had planned to discuss Sage's future at the start of the international break, but following this performance, changing manager has become "unlikely and unjustifiable" at this point. While the team's attack still appears somewhat blunt, a tedious but disciplined display and a solid defensive performance is exactly what the team needs to rebuild confidence.

In the first five matchdays of this season, Crystal Palace's results against similar opponents are no worse than last season. Last season, when they visited Leeds United, they couldn't handle the home atmosphere and suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat, whereas this time the team showed greater composure.

The article suggests that even if Crystal Palace had lost this match, sacking Sage at this moment would still be controversial. He has attempted to change the team's style, encouraging high pressing and aggressive attacking, but this approach has also exposed defensive vulnerabilities, and a tactical system overhaul cannot happen overnight.

Furthermore, when Sage took over the team, two centre-backs joined only in the final week of the summer transfer window. The club didn't directly sign a replacement for Maxence Lacroix but instead loaned Axel Disasi from Chelsea. Other options include Richards, who has struggled adapting after losing Lacroix's support, and young players like Canwo, who are still developing and occasionally make mistakes.

Daily Mail believes Sage has remained composed in facing these challenges and should be given more time to implement his football philosophy. In his previous role at Lens, he led the team to a Ligue 1 runner-up finish and won the Coupe de France.

Meanwhile, Leeds United remain unbeaten in their first five Premier League matches. Manager Daniel Farke said after the match: "It's a mixed feeling. Of course, we want to win, but the reality is you can't have 38 magical nights under the lights in a season, and you can't play beautiful football, completely dominate the opposition and score easily in every match."

"Sometimes, you have those Sunday afternoon matches where things don't flow smoothly, and you have to battle hard. I'm satisfied that the team kept a clean sheet, extended their unbeaten run and showed fighting spirit for every point."

Leeds United goalkeeper James Trafford made 5 saves in this match, helping his team secure a point. Daily Mail believes that with nine English clubs competing in European competitions this season, Leeds United, given their relatively favorable fixture list, are positioned to challenge for a European spot. However, after the international break, they will face Arsenal, Manchester United, Sunderland and Bournemouth in October, a sequence of matches that will be a genuine test.

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