The manner of the loss to Newcastle United must have been disappointing for Crystal Palace. 

Indeed, they managed just three shots on target against a side to have allowed 15.8 past them per game this season, with Roy Hodgson even admitting he was glad supporters were unable to attend given their performance. 

Though they are seven points clear of the relegation zone and level on points with Arsenal, the fact such a loss came after being beaten by the struggling Burnley does paint a fairly unhappy picture at the moment. 

According to The Athletic, there won't be major wholesale changes in the January window either. 

They claim that, while Palace will target young players in order to provide fresh impetus, it will not be a market in which many new faces will arrive. 

This comes just weeks after it was claimed that a decision to extend Jairo Riedewald's stay at Selhurst Park would be to help drive down the average age of the squad going forward. 

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Even back in 2019, the Guardian were suggesting the Eagles' wage bill was a major problem when it came to looking to significantly improve the squad, so perhaps the situation will look brighter in the summer. 

After all, high earners such as Max Meyer and Christian Benteke are out of contract at the end of the season, which could help free up wages in order to phase the squad into something fresher.

With Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson arriving last summer, at least some of that has begun already and, while January may not be an instant fix fans may want, the middle of 2021 could potentially be an exciting time for Crystal Palace.