Crystal Palace targeting Cole and Gilardino shows their desperation

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Crystal Palace are targeting Carlton Cole and Alberto Gilardino to solve their striker problems. It sums up how much trouble the club are in.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson gestures during the English Premier League football match against Manchester United.

Crystal Palace continue to extend the most unwanted of records as they fail to score and keep losing in the Premier League.

After five matches they became the first club in English top flight history to suffer defeat in all five without finding the net. The 4-0 loss to Manchester United at the weekend took that run to seven.

Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke (2L) picks up an injury during the English Premier League football match against Manchester City.

With manager Roy Hodgson telling Sky Sports Christian Benteke is out for at least six weeks with a knee injury and Connor Wickham also sidelined with a similar problem, the Eagles are currently without no recognised striker.

It has left Hodgson having to look at who is available as a free agent to try and solve Palace’s major problems in attack, with ESPN reporting Alberto Gilardino is on the radar after being released by Pescara. Former West Ham United forward Carlton Cole is also believed to be on the list and has admitted to Sky Sports he would be open to the move.

The signing of Cole is hardly going to fill fans at Selhurst Park with too much excitement. The 33-year-old has scored five goals in 37 games over the last three years, having played for the likes of Indonesian side Persib Bandung and Sacramento Republic of USA.

Napolis player Elseid Hysaj vies with Pescara Calcio player Alberto Gilardino.

Gilardino, meanwhile, found the net just once in 19 outings last term while with Empoli and Pescara. With 57 caps for Italy and 226 career goals to date the former AC Milan man may have a more decorated career than Cole, but is now 35-years-old and suffered a serious knee injury in 2016/17.

Targeting the duo effectively shows the major mistakes the South London club made over the summer in the transfer market. Coupled with their appointment and sacking of Frank de Boer as boss after just four matches and performances on the pitch and things are looking shambolic at Palace.