It was only a bad window in terms of bringing in personnel to play 3-4-3. If we were playing 4-2-3-1 or a derivative of that then we'd all be salivating over the improved quality of our back four right now.

Time will tell if it's a bad window. I'd like to hope it'll nudge Frank back towards a gradual transition of tactics rather than a blind plunge into the deep end.

Edited by Part Time James (03 Sep 2017 6.08pm)

I agree with most that on paper we should be better than lots. We also should be able to better over a whole season and not just 3 games but you do also have to look at the playing catch up scenario.

2 teams mentioned are Huddersfield and Swansea. So as a team planning for 40 points, we have to sit down and say okay, where can we get 6 of those 40 and of course that would be home games against Huddersfield and Swansea.

If the first 3 games were United, Chelsea and Liverpool, we could dust ourselves off now and crack on. The small silver lining is it has exposed De Boer and he may now only get 1 more game but had he lost against a big 3 then he could claim we would lose those anyway and to give him a chance against equal opposition.

Fact of the matter is though we can't keep going for the 'roller coaster' results. People always say oh we'll be alright, it's typical Palace, lose to Huddersfield but beat Liverpool.

Of course that didn't happen this season. Do you think another 3 points at home to Arsenal is likely 2 seasons in a row? I don't. How about taking 3 points home from Stamford Bridge again? It's a no from me.

So if you assume worst case but most realistic scenario of us getting nothing from either game against Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, United, City, Liverpool then you start to realise actually we don't have that many games left to get to 40.

It's then you realise what a terrible handicap we've put ourselves in with our 2 home games so far this season. If we got a financial penalty and was told we'd start the season on -6 points, we wouldn't be optimistic of staying up but that is essentially what we have done thanks to Frank and the teams efforts against Huddersfield and Swansea.

Your not wrong there mate - there doing even worse than us and that takes some doing!

Won't be popular for saying the following but Palace look the worst team at present. I can see the likes of Brighton and Newcastle scoring against us and yet can see where we can even buy a goal from. WAY too dependent upon Benteke and Zaha.