What every Prem club needs in January…
Date published: Sunday 13th November 2016 2:50
ARSENAL – Central defender
Most transfer guides will suggest that the Gunners’ perennial search for a striker should continue this January – indeed, this one from the Daily Mirror claims as much – but that seems fanciful. Only three teams have outscored Arsenal in the Premier League this season, with Alexis Sanchez leading the line impeccably. Olivier Giroud is more than adept as back-up, and Lucas Perez might yet overcome a difficult start.
Indeed, Arsenal’s starting XI is hardly in desperate need of improvement. In terms of the squad however, Arsene Wenger is likely to want reinforcements in central defence. Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi are as strong a partnership as any, but deputies Gabriel and Per Mertesacker represent a huge downturn in quality. Would Chris Smalling be any better?
BOURNEMOUTH – Right-back
Ten clubs have conceded fewer goals (16); four clubs have kept more clean sheets (three). Bournemouth have a defensive record fit for mild boasting. Considering they have a 36-year-old keeper and a right-back excelling at centre-half, Eddie Howe is performing near miracles. But one injury to Adam Smith would cause a whole lot of trouble, with Simon Francis, current central-defensive partner to Steve Cook, the only other member of the squad who can play at right-back.
BURNLEY – Winger
Look up ‘settled squad’ in a dictionary, and you will find no entry, for dictionaries do not cater to phrases and footballing cliches. But if they did, an image of the Burnley side would suffice. Sean Dyche has handed out starts to just 15 players, with seven of his squad featuring in all 11 Premier League games, and a further three playing ten. What the Clarets are missing is depth in the wing positions, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson playing six games on the right wing and one on the left, George Boyd playing four on each flank, Scott Arfield playing one on the right and five on the left, and Michael Kightly playing one on the left. That quartet has provided a combined two goals and one assist from wide areas.
CHELSEA – Central defender
It does feel a little weird to claim that Chelsea need a central defender with the Blues having kept five consecutive Premier League clean sheets and not conceding since that embarrassing September defeat to Arsenal, but it remains the case. The three-man defence of Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta has been a revelation, but they are one injury away from John Terry being exposed in the first team, and two away from Branislav Ivanovic returning. And nobody wants that. Kurt Zouma’s return from injury will be a welcome blessing, but the Frenchman will take time to fully recover after nine months on the sidelines.
CRYSTAL PALACE – Full-back
Alan Pardew got a little carried away in the summer. The future England and Real Madrid manager embarked on his own real-life version of Football Manager, having been granted a larger transfer fund than usual. And when a smug man is given a larger transfer fund, a smug man spends it on forwards, not defenders. So in came Christian Benteke, his brother Jonathan, Andros Townsend and Loic Remy. The only addition to a struggling defence was James Tomkins. It left Palace with two right-backs (Joel Ward and Martin Kelly), and two left-backs (Pape Souare and Zeki Fryers). Such a selection was not good enough in the summer, and with Souare now sidelined for the foreseeable future, it is certainly not good enough now.
EVERTON – Striker
Oumar Niasse was not the answer. Oumar Niasse is never the answer, unless the question is ‘Who is not the answer?’ Then the answer would be Oumar Niasse, for he is not the answer.
It leaves Everton in search of the answer, and Ronald Koeman must be fully aware of that. Romelu Lukaku is a beautiful man, but he can only do so much. Behind him is a pecking order of Enner Valencia, Arouna Kone, Leandro Rodriguez and Conor McAleny. And that is smelly. Is Memphis Depay the answer? Well, he isn’t Oumar Niasse.
HULL – Central defender
Because Jake Livermore.
LEICESTER – Central defender
A quick look at the four players to have featured the most for Leicester this season throws up no surprises. Wes Morgan has played every possible minute of the 17 games the Foxes have faced in the Premier League, Champions League and Community Shield. Danny Drinkwater has missed just 11 minutes. Christian Fuchs has played 1,430 of a possible 1,560, and Robert Huth is a little further back on 1,346. Last season, the workload was manageable for a pair of centre-halves both over 30. With the added European excursions, Leicester need something more than Luis Hernandez and Yohan Benalouane to share the burden.
LIVERPOOL – Forward
They may have scored 30 goals in just 11 Premier League games, but winter is coming and Liverpool need reinforcements. The Reds were always aware they would lose Sadio Mane to the African Cup of Nations in January and February, but his absence was likely to be offset by Danny Ings. The former Burnley striker is obviously not of the same standard as the Senegalese, but his pace, direct style and willingness to work out wide and interchange would have eased Jurgen Klopp’s selection headache. The German might still see Daniel Sturridge or Divock Origi working in a flowing front three, but there are question marks as to whether either are able to replicate Mane’s movement.
MANCHESTER CITY – Central defender
John Stones is fine, even if Gareth Southgate laments his moments of “stupidity”. Nicolas Otamendi is fine. But if you are not Jamie Jackson of The Guardian, then you look at Aleksandar Kolarov and realise that a below-par left-back should not be central-defensive cover for a side with Premier League and Champions League aspirations.
MANCHESTER UNITED – Central defender
Jose Mourinho and his media entourage would have you believe that none of this Manchester United squad is good enough, despite Jose Mourinho and his media entourage deeming it patently good enough back in August. Reinforcements are supposedly needed in defence, in midfield and in attack. The calls for a new defender are most understandable, with Marcos Rojo lurking in the shadows, Chris Smalling too selfish and weak to play with a broken toe, and Phil Jones one injury away from earning a voucher at the hospital canteen. Perhaps Jose Gimenez is the answer?
MIDDLESBROUGH – Striker
One would normally recommend that a club newly promoted from the Championship concentrates more on solidifying their defence than strengthening their attack. But Middlesbrough have managed to carry their steely Championship backline into the top flight, and only four clubs have conceded fewer goals (12) after 11 Premier League games. On the other hand, only Sunderland (nine) have scored fewer (ten). Cristhian Stuani is the only member of the squad to score more than one league goal this season, and two of his three came on the opening day. With Aitor Karanka changing the system to focus on counter-attacks, a more suitable outlet than Alvaro Negredo or Jordan Rhodes is needed. Although watching them try to keep up with Adama Traore is hilarious.
SOUTHAMPTON – Striker
Southampton are tenth. They have won three games, drawn four and lost four. They are both eight points from the bottom of the table, and eight points from European qualification. They have scored 12 goals and conceded 12. They are, in terms of this season, very much a middling Premier League club. Their main worry will come in attack however, with Charlie Austin’s profligacy, Nathan Redmond’s need to learn a new position and the existence of a trying but lacking Shane Long and an injury-riddled Jay Rodriguez as back-ups. Only Sunderland (four) have fewer individual goalscorers than Saints’ five this season, and the excitement over Sofiane Boufal’s first-team arrival will soon dissipate as he heads off to the African Cup of Nations.
STOKE – Striker
If Glen Johnson finally completes the move he earned long ago and teams up with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar at Barcelona, Stoke will need a back-up right-back to replace him. But for now, the Potters might concentrate more on their forward line. Wilfried Bony joined from Manchester City on loan in the summer and it seemed an excellent signing, but the Ivorian has scored just twice – both against former club Swansea in late October. Even if Mark Hughes is content with the forward, it is likely he will be called up to feature in the African Cup of Nations, and his deputy is either the underwhelming Mame Biram Diouf or Bojan, whose introduction would necessitate a noted change in approach.
SUNDERLAND – Help for Defoe
As tempting as it is to answer the question of ‘What do Sunderland need?’ with ‘All of the things’, let’s actually take a desperate plunge into the depths of David Moyes’ mind. Look past the compromising pictures of Marouane Fellaini, the love letters to Leon Osman and the photograph of Sir Alex Ferguson with his eyes angrily crossed out, and you will see that Moyes is likely to try and source help for Jermain Defoe. Sunderland’s first victory of the Premier League season was achieved with the Englishman finally afforded a strike partner in the rather burly form of Victor Anichebe against Bournemouth. The only problem with Anichebe is that he has scored 24 goals in 189 games in the English top flight.
SWANSEA – Forward
Whether it is a striker to replace or compete with Fernando Llorente and Borja Baston, or a player who can slot into one of the two roles as winger in this Swansea side, Bob Bradley desperately needs added firepower in January. The Welsh side have scored ten goals in 11 Premier League games, and only two players – Gylfi Sigurdsson (three) and Modou Barrow (two) – have registered an assist, which is oddly impressive.
TOTTENHAM – Attacking midfielder
In terms of squad depth, this is surely Tottenham’s strongest ever. They have two solid goalkeepers, excellent first-choice options and back-ups in defence, a strong central midfield, and two strikers who are capable of curing their current problems in front of goal – even if one is only good enough for the Championship.
But while many are concentrating on Vincent Janssen’s struggles in acclimatising to life at a new club in a new country, perhaps the problem lies with those behind him. Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, Moussa Sissoko, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min provide Mauricio Pochettino with an abundance of options in attacking midfield, but they have often been found lacking. An injection of pace would not go amiss – although Georges-Kévin N’Koudou could be earmarked for that role.
WATFORD – Striker
Remember when Odion Ighalo was being linked with Manchester United, rejected a £300,000-a-week deal and signed a five-year contract to stay at Watford? Odion Ighalo remembers. Odion Ighalo also likely remembers scoring 15 Premier League goals last season. His follow-up campaign has seen the striker score just once, and visibly struggle alongside strike partner Troy Deeney. Walter Mazzarri could use Isaac Success, Stefano Okaka or Jerome Sinclair, all three strikers who joined the club this summer. But he could also spend some more money because that is always fun for everyone.
WEST BROM – Central midfielder
It would take a brave man – nay, a stupid man – to suggest that Tony Pulis’ Christmas wish list is not topped by the words ‘central defender’ in block capitals and rainbow gel pens, but the Welshman might not get what he wants this year. What West Brom do need however, is a central midfielder. Darren Fletcher is no longer capable of performing every week in the Premier League, and so Claudio Yacob needs a partner to hold him, to love him and to tell him he’s the bestest tackler of them all. Some creativity from deep would be rather nice.
WEST HAM – Striker
Because the Simone Zaza thing just won’t work, no matter how hard you try, guys.
Matt Stead
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