Crystal Palace's recruitment over the past few years has come under plenty of criticism.

Underinvestment and an ageing squad are not a healthy mix and, while a number of the accusations levelled at the work being done in the recruitment department are wholly justified, the successes must too be examined.

There was little fanfare when, off the back of a season on loan during which he managed just one goal, Jordan Ayew's move to Crystal Palace was made permanent last summer.

While the Ghanaian has not filled the void of a 15-goal-a-season striker all fans crave - there is a reason they're so hard to find - his contribution has been vital. Games in which Ayew has scored an equaliser or a winner have won Palace a whopping 14 points this season, while his first of the campaign opened the scoring at Manchester United on the way to a famous win.

There have been moments of glamour - the solo effort against West Ham - and times when his work ethic have shone, being shifted out wide to accommodate Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke and forming a rather more coherent forward line.

Ayew is not the only small success story. Roy Hodgson has often asked for more than free transfers and loans, something he is more than right to call on, but the business Palace have done with them has worked wonders for them.

Vicente Guaita, who made eight saves against Brighton on Saturday, has been Palace's player of the season, keeping them in more games than any other player this campaign. The signing of the Spaniard was championed by the recruitment department and, while Hodgson took some convincing, he has proved quite the bargain.

So too Gary Cahill, one of the signings of the season in the Premier League, having been forced into exile at Chelsea by Maurizio Sarri last season. The former England defender claimed man of the match on Saturday and has been Hodgson's most reliable outfield player this term.

More, of course, needs to be done in south London. The insistence from Hodgson remains the same: that everyone is aware of the problems and agreed on what is needed.

Past signings perhaps counter that: the arrival and omission of Victor Camarasa for the first half of the season has caused frustration behind the scenes, while watching the success Alexander Sorloth is enjoying in Turkey having not been given a run at Palace is another niggle for some.

Investment is needed this summer, but bargain fees and free transfers should not be decried from the off: it just so happens that Palace's three best players on Saturday and across the season fit into that category.