By Matt Webb - follow the Crystal Palace blogger @doctordubbs

After an incredible start to the 2015-16 campaign, Crystal Palace now find themselves in their worst run of form since Alan Pardew became the manager a little over a year ago.

With only two points from a possible 18 in their last six matches and having not scored a goal of their own in any of those matches, Pardew made it clear that his main objective this January transfer window was to secure the services of a goal scoring striker.

Predictably, the rumours were rife in this so called ‘silly season’ with Palace linked to Khouma Babacar, Charlie Austin, Fabio Borini, Bafetimbi Gomis, Islam Slimani (for whom Palace reportedly had a £13.6m bid rejected) and much to the fans dismay Pardew admitted that the club were considering a loan move for former Arsenal man Niklas Bendtner.

In the past week the Mirror reported that Loic Remy was close to a move to Crystal Palace, but on Tuesday those rumours cooled as Remy appeared to prefer the option of returning to St James’ Park where he enjoyed his greatest personal success, playing under Pardew for Newcastle in the Premier League in 2014.

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Later on Tuesday afternoon, stories began to emerge that former Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor was set to have a medical ahead of a short term move to the Eagles.

By Tuesday evening the club had confirmed that Adebayor had signed a five month deal to play for Palace until the end of the season.

Adebayor is a controversial figure, having fallen out with nearly every club he has played for.

In 2009 after leaving Arsenal for Manchester City, Adebayor infamously ran the entire length of the pitch to celebrate his goal right in front of the Arsenal fans.

He has had numerous spats with other clubs, including a heated on-field confrontation with Arsenal teammate Bendtner, and more recently having his contract mutually terminated by Spurs.

When he is unhappy, Adebayor has a reputation for causing unrest in the dressing room.

However, Adebayor is a proven goal scorer, with undoubted class.

In his 230 Premier League starts he has notched no less than 96 goals, leaving him only nine short of Didier Drogba’s record 105 goals scored by an African in the Premier League.

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Adebayor’s style of play would also seemingly work very well with the way Palace play.

All too often this season, fans have been frustrated watching Bolasie and Zaha whip balls into the box from the wing, only for nobody to be on the end of them.

Adebayor is excellent in the air and has the ability to convert those crosses into goals, but he also is brilliant at hold up play and pressing defenders into mistakes.

Connor Wickham has shown that he too can hold up play, bringing other players into the mix, but in contrast to Adebayor he lacks goals.

So, when he is happy, Adebayor scores.

He had a good relationship with former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood which resulted in a return to goalscoring form for the Togo international - Sherwood indicated that all that was required was for him to ‘put his arm around him’.

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Alan Pardew has insisted that he has the man management skills to bring the best out of Adebayor, if he is right Palace will have a proven goal-scorer of Champions League caliber, something that just a couple of years ago they could only have dreamt of.

Considering the short-term nature of the contract, the risk is very minimal considering Adebayor’s ability the potential gains are vast.

A gamble, yes, but with no goals in six, Adebayor is a gamble worth taking.

Matt is a regular contributor to the Crystal Palace fanzine, Five Year Plan.