Pierre Sage is starting work this week as the new Crystal Palace manager.He inherits a settled squad and a club that is broadly stable. But they will be competing in the Europa League for the first time in 2026-27 following last season’s UEFA Conference League success, and looking to improve on last year’s lowly 15th-place finish in the Premier League.There is pressure in following on from predecessor Oliver Glasner after his remarkable success in delivering the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League. There is also the question of what Palace will do in the transfer market, and which players might leave.But Sage is used to working in difficult circumstances. He was in charge of Lyon when they were bottom of the Ligue 1 table and then faced a transfer ban, and took over an RC Lens side with a relatively low budget. Yet he brought success to both clubs.So what is he inheriting in south London and what does his to-do list look like?Preaching his system to a squad so used to playing the Glasner wayWhile Sage’s tactical approach bears hallmarks of the system Glasner used at Palace, there will be elements which are different.He will have studied the squad and will no doubt seek advice from those who are familiar with it, such Paddy McCarthy, who was one of Glasner’s assistants and knows the club inside-out. The Irishman’s experience will be invaluable.Pierre Sage can lean on Paddy McCarthy, who has been an integral part of the Crystal Palace coaching staff over recent years (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)But there is still a need to drum home his ideas to those players who are not away at the World Cup, with the Como Cup pre-season tournament an opportunity for him to test out any tweaks — such as his preference for attacks to go wider earlier in the build-up.After two and a half years under the previous manager, there will inevitably be an adjustment period required, but there should be enough continuity for Sage to be able to put his message across to the team quickly, efficiently and effectively.His immediate task is to study the squad first-hand to work out whether there are things that he did with both Lyon and Lens that will be successful at Palace, or whether changes will be required to better fit the squad and system.Target where additions need to be madeThat lends itself to questions over where Palace will need to make new signings. One of Sage’s tasks will be to identify which parts of his squad will need strengthening and where depth is most required, all within the parameters given to him by the board and the club’s financial position.It will also entail conversations with the hierarchy over which players, if any, are likely to depart. Daichi Kamada is expected to sign a new contract to remain at Selhurst Park, though Oliver Glasner’s anticipated appointment at Nottingham Forest will have Palace scrambling to conclude that deal. Chelsea are also monitoring Maxence Lacroix and Jean-Philippe Mateta has a year left on his deal. Adam Wharton may well be in demand, too.Jean-Philippe Mateta is entering the final 12 months of his contract at Crystal Palace (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)Realistically, Palace’s squad is in a reasonably good place as it stands. But the successful UEFA Conference League campaign demonstrated the need for more depth given it involved them playing an additional 14 games.Their entry to the Europa League after winning that competition in Leipzig means those extra squad options are even more important — there will be two more league-phase games this time round — to have sufficient alternatives when the first-choice players are unavailable.Make a swift assessment of last year’s loaneesPalace loaned out 13 players last season, although some were youth-team players who have since been released or will be nowhere near the first-team picture.Of those remaining, Sage will need to collaborate with academy director Gary Issott, loans manager Mark Bright, sporting director Matt Hobbs and chairman Steve Parish over where their future lies.The most prominent will be Matheus Franca, whose Palace career has yet to take off and who spent last season with Vasco da Gama. The 22-year-old could, in theory, provide an option as a No 10.Matheus Franca spent last season on loan at Vasco Da Gama (Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who has only a year remaining on his contract and who nearly left permanently last summer, will need to be considered, too. He could also cover the No 10 role, but 29 appearances for Caykur Rizespor and Stoke City last term mean he is more likely to be sold if interest materialises. David Ozoh enjoyed another successful loan at Derby County in central midfield but is more likely to leave permanently, perhaps back to Derby, than break into the Palace side.The younger players’ futures are more likely to be determined by the club’s existing decision makers.Convince Mateta and Wharton they should stayTwo players who will be in demand this summer are Mateta and Wharton.Sage may be able to play a role in determining their futures, although if asking prices are met then they will need to leave given the income received would help rebuild the Palace squad for several transfer windows to come, as well as ensure the club complies with Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules.Mateta may yet remain at the club despite that January move to AC Milan falling through. He has a year remaining on his contract and has shown no indication he is prepared to sign fresh terms, but Palace are unlikely to receive an offer they feel is acceptable given his value to the team and how effective they are with Jorgen Strand Larsen as competition.Sage could play a role in persuading his fellow Frenchman that he will be better staying at Palace and playing a major role in the Europa League, which would in turn help him to realise his dream of playing in the Champions League.Crystal Palace want Adam Wharton to stay at least one more year (Stu Forster/Getty Images)For Wharton, it is about convincing the 22-year-old that another strong season with Palace will rapidly advance his development. The plan is to eventually sell him — in keeping with the recruitment strategy of buying young, then developing and selling for a profit before the cycle begins again.Next summer would surely be the best time for all involved. He is perfectly suited as well to the system Sage prefers, similar to that of Glasner, and that role as an influential, crucial player could be a way to ensure there is contentment with remaining at the club for another year.Ensure the fans realise there is life after GlasnerThis is the most difficult task he faces.The unprecedented success Glasner brought will be extremely difficult to follow. But Sage, similar though he is to his predecessor, will bring his own style on and off the pitch.Guiding them deep into the Europa League knockout stages and to an improved Premier League position, while also avoiding some of the pitfalls Glasner faced with his stubbornness and struggles against low blocks, would go a long way to endearing Sage to the Palace support.