Sage wants to turn the hard days at Palace into an opportunity

Crystal Palace advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a victory away at Fulham on Wednesday night. The result brought great relief to a side that had not won in four matches across all competitions.

Events at the start of the season had caused concern. Palace, who lost 5-0 to Brighton earlier this month, were shaken in the period under Sage that followed the bright years of Oliver Glasner's reign. However, Sage believes these difficult days are an opportunity for him.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Sage said the difficulties have helped him question his own working style. Acknowledging that results are the most important thing, the coach stressed that he must make the right decisions at the right time. In his view, trying to become a better coach every day is the way to move the players and the team forward too.

Sage noted that in the second half at Craven Cottage, the team looked more like the structure they want. He sees these as small but encouraging steps and believes the work behind the scenes will bear fruit in the future.

Palace's next test will be an away trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. The match will kick off at 17:30 and can be watched live on Sky Sports.