EAGLES columnist SAM ROSS is certainly not feeling glad all over as things go from bad to worse at Selhurst Park.

ANOTHER week has gone by and still things are looking pretty dire for the Eagles.

There was excitement among fans for the treble signing of Darcy Blake, Yannick Bolasie and unattached midfielder Andre Moritz.

But I have to admit they didn’t do much to raise my hopes for the season, especially Blake.

Having watched Cardiff a fair bit last season due to our heroics in the League Cup, which we are already out of this year after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Preston last night, Blake is a defender I have never really rated.

Often second choice to the ever ageing Kevin McNaughton, who is somehow only 30-years-old, he was a player who Wilfried Zaha relished playing against last season.

But then I looked at the transfer market and at who was realistically available for Palace and it really is slim pickings.

One player I would like to see playing regularly at Selhurst Park is Paul Taylor.

Taylor is transfer listed by Peterborough, but it looks like we are likely to miss out to Ipswich on that front.

And once you found a player, they would then have to be persuaded to join Palace, which even for the most passionate of fans, is not an easy task to do.

We have set out with the intentions of not achieving a great deal this season with a budget that can’t compete with some of the wage demands of some of the top players in the Championship.

And while that is brutally honest, it can’t have done much to attract players to SE25.

Even some of most loyal players over the years have fled the Eagles’ nest or seemed lost early on, most notably Julian Speroni, who these days looks like the same nervy keeper as when he first joined.

It doesn’t take anyone with a coaching badge to recognise what our downfall is so far - defence.

We have already conceded 14 goals in all competitions this season.

Compare this statistic to last season and you can already tell it is going to be a completely different year.

It took the Eagles until October 1, some 13 games into the campaign, until they had let in 14 goals.

Warranted Saturday’s result at Middlesbrough was improved but it is slightly worrying when renewed optimism is still based on a loss.

Then there was last night.

Well, I know no-one was expecting the same cup joys as last year but a 4-1 defeat to a Preston side who have failed to win in League One this season is beyond woeful.

The transfer window shuts on Friday and I am hoping Freedman is planning to bring in another defender, preferably one who can win the ball in the air.

But with Palace’s terrible start, I fear there is no-one that wants to join a struggling team who at the minute don’t show any real signs of improving.

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