Crystal Palace Q+A: Where has it gone so wrong for Frank de Boer, who is to blame for dreadful start to the season and will Eagles spend in the window?

• e-mail

'Four years in the EPL. We continue to break new ground. Thanks to all those who stuck with us. 84 days to plan how we break the top 10.'

A lot can change in three months, as Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has quickly found out. All of a sudden, his statement back in May seems a little misguided.

Rather than planning their assault on the top half, Palace fans are dreading another relegation battle, but this time it looks serious. Three games, no points, no goals. And the new man in charge could be heading for the exit door already.

Here, Sportsmail assesses where it's all gone wrong at Selhurst Park. 

Frank de Boer has struggled at Crystal Palace; they have lost all three of their opening games

Why have the team started so badly?

Formation is the crux of the issue. Palace, for four Premier League seasons, have happily ploughed on with a back four. 4-4-2 at times, but mostly 4-5-1, latterly with Christian Benteke leading the line.

Football fans are fickle, though, and after two mid-table finishes and some too-close-for-comfort relegation battles, the club have pushed for more.

Why not change the style, make the football more attractive, and dream of European football and a rise up the table like Southampton, Everton et al?

Well, this is why. Palace have changed to 3-5-2 under De Boer, but don't have the players capable to challenge the teams around them.

Time may be running out for De Boer at Crystal Palace, and they've only played three matches

Joel Ward, a right back, has been moved to an alien wing-back position, leaving gaping holes at the back as he attempts to adapt to his new role.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Jairo Riedewald look like handy players, but they have just arrived and are already forming two-thirds of the Palace back-line. Jason Puncheon has been dropped back to central midfield but looks increasingly out of his depth.

Winger Andros Townsend is playing as a second striker, defensive midfielder James McArthur as a makeshift winger. It doesn't take a genius to see that the Palace team is a mess, and needs significant tinkering before the transfer window closes.

Jason Puncheon has taken the captain's armband from Scott Dann but looks out of his depth

So is it Frank de Boer's fault? 

Partly, but the blame cannot be placed solely at his feet. The players must take responsibility, as should Steve Parish and the club's American owners.

There is certainly some naivety from De Boer to think that his drastic change in style could be implemented within weeks.

A few half-paced pre-season games is no marker for how your team will perform on the opening day of the league campaign, but it's fair to say that what did happen on August 12 was far from solely his fault.

A 3-0 home defeat by Huddersfield was a total unmitigated disaster, and it's not got any better with losses against Liverpool and Swansea to follow. Six goals conceded, no points on the board.

De Boer hasn't adapted well to the Premier League, the players aren't pulling their weight on the pitch, and the owners haven't been quick enough in spending their cash in the transfer market.

Steve Parish must shoulder some of the blame for not spending big in the transfer market

It's tough getting Palace to play well at home though, isn't it?

Admittedly, yes. Palace's troubles at Selhurst Park stretch back way beyond De Boer.

Tony Pulis started reasonably well as he took over the reigns from Ian Holloway and steered the Eagles to a mid-table finish in 2013-14, but since that first season (eight home wins from 19) it's got increasingly worse.

In 2014-15, they lost 10 at home... the following season 10 again, and then last season there were 11 home defeats. There's only so long you can produce that home form and get away with it.

De Boer has already stated his intentions to turn Selhurst Park into a fortress, but currently it's free points for those visiting. On a bad run? South London's lovely this time of year. In desperate need of a win? Palace is the place to go.

Whoever takes the club forward will know that one of the main things to address is performances at Selhurst. For their hopes of pushing up the league, but mainly for the fans who have been treated to some awful football over the last four years.

Alan Pardew was one of a number of managers who have failed to get Palace going at home

So will they buy players before the window shuts? 

If you ask De Boer and the club's hierarchy, the answer will be yes. Fans will be desperate for more signings, and it's clear to everyone that new faces are much-needed if they are to turn this around.

In the current market, though, things are difficult. For some time, Palace have had their cross hairs aimed at Mamadou Sakho, the Liverpool defender who performed so admirably on loan last season.

While they try and get that one over the line though, other defensive targets have slipped through their fingers. They were close on Bruno Martins Indi, have missed out on Kevin Wimmer, Kurt Zouma and Adil Rami, and have been linked with Joel Veltman. The list goes on.

A new goalkeeper is imperative, and they have one fit senior striker in Benteke. That Palace are entering the last three days of the window having made just one permanent signing is a real worry.

While their rivals have splashed the cash, Palace's transfer spend stands at £8m.  

Palace are keen to get Mamadou Sakho in but have missed out on other defensive targets

Is there money to spend? 

The wage bill has increased at a rate of knots at Selhurst Park, but the astronomical money in the Premier League means the funds are available.

Palace have no debt, are one of 20 lucky teams to be beneficiaries of the new TV deal, and have just entered their fifth season of Premier League money.

So yes, is the simple answer. Clearly, it can be tough to get deals over the line but Palace fans will be baying for blood if no more players come in. The Eagles have the money, and with or without De Boer, there is likely to be movement in SE25.

Jairo Riedewald is the only player Palace have bought this summer, for a sum of £8million

So De Boer could get sacked?

Yes, and it's looking increasingly likely to happen. As Sportsmail reported on Monday morning, the Dutchman is facing a losing battle to keep his job.

There is a growing feeling behind the scenes at Selhurst that he will leave sooner rather than later, and there could be a new man in charge after the international break.

Dougie Freedman joined as Sporting Director last week, and he is ready to step into the dugout for his second spell in charge while Palace look for a permanent successor.

Now is the time for Palace to make their move. Back or sack. If they aren't planning on getting rid of De Boer after just 63 days, they have to give him funds to buy players in the window, and time to bed in. 

Palace must back De Boer in the transfer window if they opt to keep him on at Selhurst Park