In keeping with last week, the Fulham result on Saturday came with several asterisks.

Once again, these do not help Crystal Palace’s cause – a costly error from Maxence Lacroix and a red card for Daichi Kamada offering a helping hand to the visitors.

Thee strong VAR detractors within the Palace fanbase may also now be reconsidering their view, given that it saved the club from facing double the deficit at full-time and yet more blushes.

Currently, it seems unlikely that my pre-season prediction of 10th will quite happen – fortunately, BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty is going down on that ship with me. The Opta supercomputer, external suggests a 1.2% chance of reaching that spot. We’ll take it.

Yet it is interesting how sentiments and performances have failed to meet expectations in the three months since. Of course, injuries are a variable, but the final two weeks of the transfer window have played a significant role.

After 11 matches, it is difficult to see most of the summer acquisitions as net positives based on performances and costs.

The apparent exceptions are Lacroix and loanee Trevoh Chalobah, despite their respective individual errors in the past two matches.

That may be why fan discontent is directed squarely at the club’s ownership rather than Oliver Glasner in the dugout, which seems a rarity for a team in the bottom three spots.

One bright spot from the game was Justin Devenny’s debut. Promoted and starting for the senior team in central midfield, he performed with the maturity and composure we have come to expect based on his performances for the under-21s. Given Kamada’s suspension, he has likely earned an extended stay in the first team – and on merit.

Once again, the international break offers Palace the chance to regroup and get numerous players back from injury. Player availability is now paramount in both the short and long term.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external