Jérôme Rothen launches fierce criticism of Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage

Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage has been criticised by former France international Jérôme Rothen, who believes the Frenchman overestimated himself when leaving Lens for the Premier League.

The Eagles sit 17th after eight league matches, with Sage under increasing pressure despite Wednesday's 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Fulham.

Speaking on RMC Sport, Rothen questioned the manager's decision to abandon Champions League football with Lens and challenged his attitude following the move to England.

Sage joined Crystal Palace in June after guiding Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and their first Coupe de France triumph.

Those achievements secured Champions League qualification, but the 47-year-old chose to pursue an opportunity in the Premier League instead.

Rothen believes Sage made a mistake by leaving the French club at that stage of his career.

Speaking on his RMC programme Rothen s'enflamme, the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder accused Sage of overestimating his abilities and described him as falsely modest.

He argued that the manager should have remained at Lens to experience Champions League football rather than moving to a Palace side facing a difficult domestic campaign.

Rothen also questioned whether Sage had shown sufficient humility following his success in France.

Palace have collected seven points from their opening eight Premier League fixtures, leaving them 17th and just one point above the relegation zone.

The Eagles have also conceded 19 league goals, the worst defensive record in the division at this stage of the season.

A 5-0 defeat against Brighton was followed by a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle, intensifying scrutiny of Sage's position.

Rothen pointed to Palace's poor results as evidence that the manager had misjudged the challenge awaiting him in England.

However, those criticisms represent Rothen's assessment rather than an established explanation for the club's performances.

Palace secured a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday with a 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Eddie Nketiah scored the decisive goal in the 37th minute, converting a cross from Óscar Mingueza.

Sage made 10 changes to his starting line-up, with goalkeeper Dean Henderson returning to help preserve the clean sheet.

The victory provided some relief following Palace's recent league defeats, although the manager's position remains under scrutiny.

Palace will host Sunderland in the quarter-finals, with the tie scheduled for December.

Crystal Palace travel to Tottenham on Saturday, 31 October, for a Premier League fixture that could have significant implications for Sage's future.

The Eagles will also host Sunderland in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in December, but improving their league results remains the more immediate challenge.