Primus doesn't look likely to feature again, which makes central defensive cover a priority. If we can extend Cranie until the end of the season I'd take him as he can double in the middle if necessary. McEveley has been a success and appears to be finished at Derby. A new manager there might change that, but if not, then I'd happily see him made more permanent.
Midfield is an absolute priority. We need some legs and mouth. Hard to identify someone we can afford who might make the switch; maybe another player (a la Bailey) from League One could do the job but I don't know enough about it (yet) to suggest anyone. We have to compete in midfield to protect our defence and support our attack much more than we have been capable of so far this season.
The other must is a striker. Our current options are so basic it's untrue. Andy Gray plays the whole 90 minutes in the shadow of whomever is marking him. Todorov doesn't look like he can do more than 20 minutes (or else he has upset someone at the club) . Dickson and Fleetwood have been judged unworthy and Waghorn is an apprentice. We will go down if we can't score more goals.
Ideally we should not take anymore loans but we might have to in order to get the quality of player we need and also to give us the flexibility we need in the event that we are relegated.
2009 can only match 2008 if we go down and bomb to the bottom of League One - a distinct possibility if nothing changes. Happy New Year!
Brilliant, so what we need now is a new manager, a new board, better results, some defenders, some midfielders, and some strikers....
ReplyDeleteProblem solved.
Primus returned to Pompey a week or so ago so definately will not feature any more.
ReplyDeletere gray- I wonder whether it is another Iluewo (you know who I mean-) situation- ie when he moves on to another club he will be restored to being a successful striker? seems to me he gets alot of ariel bombardment chucked his way- bouncing high balls when his strength is laying off balls on the ground, playing others in.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we just need to play abit more football?
Andrew
You seemed to have overlooked our latest star striker Deon 'goal machine' Burton
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
ReplyDeleteI suspect you might be right but if he's not going to do it for us, you have to draw the line somewhere. Kevin Lisbie is a fine example but it wasn't wrong to move him on - he had been under-achieving for years.
Fingers-crossed for 2009.
Dave.
Daggs,
ReplyDeleteEr, you're right. How could I have forgotten Killer Burton? He gets 10/10 for trying but he's not the answer. The only logic for his signing was that he was available, cheap, experienced (old) and a fresh face which might have sparked something in the others. What we're left with is a player who has never cut it at this level. I'm not sure we are necessarily likley to sign any better players than him in the window, which is probably more depressing.
Best wishes for 2009.
Dave.