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

Ahead of the match, Sage faced considerable pressure, with some reports even suggesting he could become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season if Crystal Palace delivered a poor performance.

Sage acknowledged the external pressure after the match, saying: "When I look at social media, I feel enormous pressure. But I don't care. I will honestly do my job and do everything I can within my abilities and limitations. In the end, I won't regret what I've done."

Although Crystal Palace didn't win, the draw was viewed as a positive step forward after conceding 11 goals in their first four Premier League matches. The team demonstrated more cohesive and disciplined defending, securing their first clean sheet in the Premier League under Sage's management.

This was also Crystal Palace's second consecutive match without conceding a goal. They had previously beaten Lech Poznań 4-0 in the Europa League on Thursday, though Daily Mail noted that their defensive performances in the two matches were entirely different. In the European match, Crystal Palace's defence still offered opponents several chances, whereas against Leeds United, their defence was noticeably more solid.

Leeds United created few genuine threats throughout the match. Dominic Calvert-Lewin had an excellent chance near the six-yard box but was brilliantly denied by Wálter Benítez; otherwise, Crystal Palace rarely faced truly dangerous moments.

Takehiro Tomiyasu played centre-back in this match and performed excellently in the first half, but for some reason couldn't continue after the break. Jefferson Lerma came on as a substitute, with Chris Richards moving to centre-back, and Crystal Palace's defence maintained control.

This is also a positive sign for Sage. This season, Crystal Palace's three centre-backs have changed in every Premier League match, resulting in a lack of stability and cohesion in defence. But in this game, they were more effective in physical battles and lost possession less frequently.

Jéddy Onguéné, who hadn't started in the previous two matches, significantly improved his game in this one and made a crucial interception in the final minutes, preventing a direct shot on goal from Calvert-Lewin.

Daily Mail reported that Crystal Palace had originally planned to discuss Sage's future at the start of the international break, but after this match, a managerial change has become "unlikely and lacking sufficient grounds." Although the team's attack still looks somewhat laboured, the slightly dull match and solid defence were exactly what this team needed to rebuild confidence.

In their first five matches this season, Crystal Palace have performed no worse against the same opponents than they did 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 was far more composed.

The article states that even if Crystal Palace had lost this match, sacking Sage at this point would be controversial. He has attempted to change the team's style of play, encouraging high pressing and proactive attacking, but this has also exposed defensive issues, and changing tactical systems cannot happen overnight.

Moreover, when Sage took over, two centre-backs only joined in the final week of the summer transfer window. Rather than directly signing a replacement for Maxence Lacroix, the club loaned Axel Disasi from Chelsea. Among the other options were Richards, who has struggled to adapt without Lacroix's support, and young prospect Jéddy Onguéné, who is still developing and occasionally makes mistakes.

Daily Mail believes Sage has remained composed in the face of these challenges and should be given more time to implement his football philosophy. During his previous spell at Lens, he led the team to second place in Ligue 1 and won the French Cup.

On the other hand, Leeds United remained unbeaten in their first five Premier League matches. Manager Daniel Farke said after the match: "These are mixed feelings. Of course, we would have preferred to win, but the reality is you can't have 38 magical evenings under the lights in a season, and you can't play champagne football, completely dominate opponents and score easily in every game."

"Sometimes you face Sunday afternoon matches where nothing works, and you have to grind it out. I'm pleased that the team kept a clean sheet, extended their unbeaten run and demonstrated the mentality to fight for every point."

Leeds United goalkeeper James Trafford made 5 saves in this match, helping his team secure a point. Daily Mail suggests that with nine English clubs competing in European competitions this season, Leeds United, with their relatively favourable fixture list, are in a position to challenge for a European place. However, after the international break in October, they face meetings with Arsenal, Manchester United, Sunderland and Bournemouth, which will be a true test.

Переведено ИИ.

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