Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Transfer Fever Hits, Part II


Our transfer lo-down continues here, with the other 10 Premier League clubs, and their possible buys before the transfer window shuts.

Man Utd
Fergie has said that's it for the January buys after Serbian duo Tosic and Ljajic joined from Partizan Belgrade, but with United's current injury crisis I wouldn't be surprised to see a Henrik Larsson type signing emerge from Carrington in the next few days. United won't want to spalsh out, but the Swede did wonders in the short stay he had two years ago.

Middlesbrough
The Stewart Downing affair seems to have finally come to an end, with the winger seeming set to stay at the Riverside, good news for the Boro. Marlon King has signed and will provide good support for Tuncay and Alves, but they look set to miss out on Ben Watson. That may be a cloud with a silver lining, as I feel they need someone with more experience anyway.

Newcastle
Will they keep hold of Shay Given? It's pivotal to their aspirations that they do, Given has been a magnificent servant and I can't see him leaving unless a very attractive offer comes along. Steve Harper has signed a new deal, which again points to the exit door for Given. Like Boro, they possibly need a bit more experience, especially in defence, and possibly in the manager's office too...

Portsmouth
Selling Defoe, and selling Diarra is not good news for Pompey fans. The money generated will help stabilize the club, but signings like Hayden Mullins will not go a long way to winning the fans over. Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch have commited their futures to the club, which is good news, but they really do need a striker. Nugent is not Premiership standard, and Crouch is crying out for someone to feed off him.

Stoke
The signings of James Beattie and Matty Etherington are very good buys. Beattie will work his socks off all game, and could be the ideal partner for Fuller, and Etherington can provide that crucial final pass in the attacking third of the pitch. Stoke have a real battle on to stay up, and their away form needs to improve, but it does seem they lack a creative spark at times.

Sunderland
They do need to make signings. Letting Chimbonda go is good news for the Mackems, but if Kenwyne Jones were to leave it could spell a disaster. Darren Bent might come the other way, and will score a good few goals but lacks the physical presence of Jones.

Tottenham
If the problem at Tottenham is the ethic and spirit of the side, then why didn't Harry go for Jimmy Bullard? He would have fit the bill perfectly and given a real wake-up call to their currently under-performing midfield players. Wilson Palacios could prove to be a good signing for Harry, who seems to have given up on defenders altogether. Chimbonda returning could be good, it could be a disaster. Much like Scolari at Chelsea, Redknapp will need to get the most out of the players at his current disposal.

West Brom
Really need a top player to turn games for them. Their injury list is as long as my arm and with a squad that size it could be fatal. Tony Mowbray needs to get his chairman's cheque book out and start splashing the cash or it could be a quick return to the Championship for West Brom.

West Ham
The turning point in their season seems to have been the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. West Ham have been turning out some great performances in the last few weeks, and the signing of Savio seems to echo what Zola is trying to do with the club. Like the other "smaller" teams in the league, they need to keep hold of their best players, like Cole and Parker.

Wigan
Been great in recent weeks but the loss of Emile Heskey could threaten their season. Mido's an interesting one, couldn't get in the team at Boro so I don't know how he will fare at Wigan. They've also let Palacios go which is a blow and the standard of player being brought in is not the same (see Ben Watson).

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