All of this does make me wonder what went on in the summer, much like I wondered what went on before FDB was appointed. We never really know what goes on in these manager-hunts and interviews, I suppose. If we knew then it would put such a different light on things.
Some have said that Sage was appointed as his Lens team was playing a 343 system, allowing us some continuity. Others that he was picked as his teams played attacking football. There is, of course, the small matter that he got Lens to 2nd in the league, however he was doing it.
Personally, I think the idea that Palace should search high and low for a manger who plays a certain system or style is dubious, as it narrows the options when they aren't very wide ranging to begin with.
How many managers are there who are good enough to do well in the premier league and who are happy to come to Palace? It's much the same as with players, I imagine, in that we end up scrapping for the best of the rest once the big clubs have had first go. To then limit ourselves to a coach who likes a certain system, or who plays a certain type of football, strikes me as a step too far. We should just get the best guy we can, regardless of his characteristics.
That said, there has to be a connection between the way the manager tends to coach, the players we are likely to have, any financial requirement to develop and sell younger players, and what we know to work for us and clubs our size in the league, surely?
Old-school managers used to take a mixed short, medium, and long term view of things, and were chiefly responsible for signings and sales, including staying within budget. As such, they could tweak and mould as they went along with todays game, this season, and who we might buy and sell in summer all in their minds at once.
That's what is most striking at the moment. There just seems so little relationship between those factors. Now never seemed the right time to be bold tactically, when we have had (or have chosen, who knows?) to sell so many senior, leading players.
Not that we know the club wanted to play good football above and beyond anything else. Perhaps they just appointed Sage because he had done well, and left it to him to adjust his tactics as appropriate? That seems reasonable.
We also have no idea what personnel Sage said he needed to play 'his way', if indeed he asked for anything specific. Perhaps he just said 'Get the best players you can within the budget, and I'll figure it out'. We just don't know.
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