As the stormy gust brushed against a sunny South London on Sunday, Newcastle United blew Crystal Palace away 2-0 at Selhurst Park.
It leaves the Eagles with just two wins from their eight Premier League matches. Life after Oliver Glasner's departure hasn't been easy.
While that would not have been difficult to envisage, Crystal Palace have simply not discovered themselves under new manager Pierre Sage, yet.
When asked if the club's hierarchy remain patient following the defeat, he replied, "I think, yeah. The question is, do you think? And my reply is, yes, I think. It’s normal that a person loses patience when you lose, because everybody wants to win, and us first."
What's more alarming is that no side has shipped more goals than Sage and co. - 19. Ipswich Town are the only other side, in terms of expected statistics, to have a worse off goals conceded metric. What swells it all further is that Palace have also conceded a staggering 95 shots from inside the box.
The return of injured players may boost their chances in upcoming fixtures, but the numbers reveal that problems lie deeper than personnel, and are more tactical, perhaps.
On that note, here are five managers who could replace Sage should he be shown the exit door.
Sean Dyche
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. English football's crisis specialist, Sean Dyche, has been without a managerial role since 2026.
Nottingham Forest was an anomaly in an otherwise terrific career thus far, as he was axed from his post within four months.
His CV, though, illustrates an uncanny ability to work with paper-thin squads and tight budgets. Piloting Burnley to their best-ever top-flight finish since 1974, before ensuring their retain their status in the Premier League for successive seasons, has been one of Dyche's best-ever achievements.
He helped Everton survive in the division back in 2023 as well, and masterminded telling victories against Arsenal and Liverpool in his time at Goodison Park.
Crystal Palace are blessed with depth in defense, especially at the heart of it, as well as a target man in Jean-Philippe Mateta up front. And Dyche could thrive in tightening them up at both ends.
Also read: Five managers who could replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United
Thomas Frank
Another ace in stabilising football clubs is Thomas Frank. The Dane has had a pivotal role behind Brentford's continued status and success as a Premier League club.
He took over from Dean Smith in 2018 and was unbeaten in 209 of the 317 matches he oversaw them from the dugout.
Frank has seen success in the Championship as well as the PL with several formations. He's tactically flexible, meaning despite questionable recruitment from Palace over the summer, he could slot in and get them ticking with multiple setups.
A sport psychology expert, Frank was also hailed for continuously nurturing players from the B and development squads at Brentford before his promotion as a head coach.
Also read: The numbers behind Harry Kane’s Ballon d'Or Charge
Vitor Pereira
Vitor Pereira has vowed to remain in Premier League management after having successfully kept Nottingham Forest up last season.
They also went on to the semifinals of the Europa League, but Pereira was dismissed before a clause increasing his compensation was due to take effect.
A league winner in Greece and Portugal, the 58-year-old replaced Gary O'Neil at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2024, with the team in 19th place, and fought off a relegation battle to finish with 42 points.
He too, relies on a tactically disciplined, pragmatic brand of football. Arguably, that is the needs of the hour at Crystal Palace.
