Alan Pardew appointed Crystal Palace boss, but what does he need?

It’s a problem Pardew has already identified, according to Millen. “He said we need to add more to our game to score more goals and win football matches, but it’s a good start for Alan to see us,” the Eagles caretaker told reporters after the 0-0 New Year’s Day draw at Aston Villa.

Pardew had a watching brief from the stands then, but the question is where does he find a striker to help stop the rot? Villa-owned Darren Bent, who spent December on loan at Palace’s bitter rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, was mentioned in dispatches, but is set to spend the rest of the season at Derby County.

Swansea City’s French target man Bafetimbi Gomis is another linked with the Eagles, but a poor return of one Premier League goal in half a season in south Wales, where he has admittedly played second fiddle to Wilfried Bony, is worrying.

Perhaps Glenn Murray, who hit 30 goals in Palace’s promotion season (2012/13) and is back from a loan spell at Reading, can step up as a short-term solution, but Pardew’s predecessors didn’t fancy him.

Eagles top scorer Dwight Gayle may get more of a run in the side under the new boss, but is a similar story to Fraizer Campbell with regard to a lack of consistent performances.

The work-rate of Marouane Chamakh has improved, but goals seem to elude the Moroccan frontman in England. Kevin Doyle’s loan spell from Wolves has ended, while Andy Johnson, the goal-getting hero of Palace’s last Premier League stint (2004/05), appears to be in semi-retirement.

Target wins in matches against teams around Palace
Last season, a relatively low threshold of 34 points was enough to keep a team in the Premier League. Pardew has games against all of the other current bottom seven sides to come this term, and should aim to take maximum points from those encounters.

Add 18 points onto the 17 procured by Palace so far, and that gives them a final total of 35. In years prior to 2013/14, that still isn’t quite enough, so their end of January home game with struggling Everton and a March match-up at Stoke City are also outings where something is needed.

What’s worrying for the Eagles is their winnable contests are spread out, apart from their three fixtures after Easter. Victories at Sunderland, and then at Selhurst against West Brom and Hull gives Pardew some chance of springtime momentum. Palace are odds-on at 4/9 to stay up.