Crystal Palace’s first month of the Premier League season has been as mixed as it comes at the time of writing, with one win, one draw, one defeat, four goals scored and four conceded. What have you made of what you've seen?

I think it's been similar to last season so far. The first 20 minutes against Arsenal were disappointing and perhaps showed that with the pre-season issues, where half the squad flew to Australia and Singapore while the other half stayed in London, affected their start.

After that, though, the team started to become more competitive and creative. That has been the hallmark of Patrick Vieira’s Palace; they have been competitive in pretty much every game they have played.

Liverpool haven’t had the best start to the season and are finding their way into things and I think Palace held their own against them at Anfield. There were lots of factors that could have gone against them but they defended really well and took their chance when they got it. They put in a really free-flowing performance against Aston Villa on 20 August, where Ebere Eze produced probably his best display under Vieira. When he gets into the groove and starts creating chances, he is unbelievable to watch.

Wilfried Zaha is in the form of his life so you know that when he gets chances, he is going to take them. There are still a few things from last season that are missing, though. They haven’t found a replacement for Conor Gallagher and they are perhaps lacking that intense press they became known for towards the end of last season. But, considering they have had a pretty tough start, it's not been too bad at all.

Eight of the last nine seasons have resulted in bottom-half finishes. Do you think they have what it takes to kick on and break into the top ten this term?

Vieira is in his second season at the club, so he knows a lot more about the league, but if you look at the Premier League this year, every team looks really strong. For example, Nottingham Forest have spent ridiculous amounts of money to try and finish above the bottom three and Newcastle are about to sign a £70m striker.

The ingredients are there at Palace for things to progress and be built upon, they are just lacking maybe one or two players that can really help propel the squad into the next stage; they are lacking a pressing midfielder and maybe another striker to help take the pressure off Zaha.

Vieira has made four major summer signings, including those of Sam Johnstone and Chris Richards. Have you been impressed with the club’s business?

It's been good and Cheick Doucoure looks like an excellent find. Cheickou Kouyate – who has gone to Forest - was a rock in that CDM position and really good at breaking up the play, but Doucoure has come in and has a short passing game and the ability to play the ball out of danger well. He is always showing for the ball, too, which is something you want from your CDM in the Premier League, whereas Kouyate probably didn’t do that enough. He looks like a real upgrade.

Chris Richards has competition in Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi, but can perhaps help Vieira change formation slightly; he showed last season that he enjoys playing three at the back and that is something Richards can do as he is more naturally a ball-playing centre-back than James Tomkins. Signing Sam Johnstone and Malcolm Ebiowei on free transfers was also good business that midtable clubs should be looking to do.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

I was having a look at the ones I suggested last season and I didn’t mention Zaha in either of them so I’ll say it this time! He is in the form of his life. He is not that player anymore where he does two tricks to try and get past a man; he uses his experience and nouse to get past them, and then shrewd finishing that he has cultivated over the past season-and-a-half. He is clinical at the moment and really, really dangerous when he gets the ball in front of goal.

How is Vieira likely to set up at Selhurst Park?

It’s interesting. He went five at the back against Liverpool, but against Villa it was back to a back four. Against the top three or four, I think he will go for five at the back to make Palace a bit more defensively sound and try to break the lines with Andersen’s unbelievable diagonal passes, but against Brentford he will probably go for a 4-3-3 with Eze just in front of the two midfielders to try and create something.

Last season, both matches ended in goalless draws draws. How do you see this one panning out?

I think both teams are pretty similar, so it's hard to pick between them. Brentford have some unbelievable players, a great head coach and have progressed so well as a football club. However, just because of how well Zaha is playing at the moment, I think Palace will probably nick it 1-0.