The Big January Gamble
The August transfer window was not our finest hour.
After a turbulent summer of change, our purchases did not really measure up to the expectations of most fans. We believed the club would be wanting to push on after a successful first season back in the top flight. Our choice of players and to an extent, our choice of new manager, may not have reflected this.
In a few weeks time all the madness starts again. It could be a pivotal month for the club.
In times gone by I have dreaded the transfer window. This time around I am practically willing to throw a brick through the window to help get it open. It has become abundantly clear that we are lacking in certain areas on the field, but with that said I feel we are only a few players away from becoming a pretty competitive Premier League team.
If we can invest wisely in January, we will be in charge of our own fate for the remainder of the season. Invest badly and we could be heading right down the swanny.
I think we only need to invest in three positions and we do not necessarily need to break the bank.
For what seems like a lifetime we have been without a left back. Joel Ward has covered admirably but he is much more comfortable in his preferred position of right back. For the last three windows we have identified this position as needing addressing. The purchase of Zeki Fryers from Tottenham Hotspur in August looked to have solved this conundrum. However, it appears that he is not quite ready to be a regular first team member and is perhaps a investment for the future.
I am hoping this window we can finally find a suitable left back, someone comfortable in the role.
Goals have been been hard to come by recently. Until yesterday, we had not scored from open play for 270 minutes. I am not going to hit the panic button yet but we are lacking in this area. Under Tony Pulis we was not exactly prolific in front of goal but we did not concede too many so it tended to balance out. This season we have had less clean sheets than a three year old going through potty training. Goals are needed to sort out the balance.
Dwight Gayle, when fully fit, will chip in with goals as will Frazier Campbell. With Glenn Murray likely to be a permanent signing at Reading in the New Year, we are desperately short of attackers. Marouane Chamakh’s role is now more of a supporting one so goals are not too forthcoming from him (but he really does make up for it in other areas). It is difficult to gauge the sort of player we need to go for up front and I am glad I am not the man having to find a new striker.
With Wilfried Zaha only on loan, Yannick Bolasie away in January on AFCON duty and Jason Puncheon a bit off the boil at the moment our only other wing options are Jerome Thomas and Jimmy Kebe. I will be honest, until last week when Thomas was named on the bench I had forgotten he played for us. Jimmy Kebe on the other hand is currently competing in the 2014 hide and seek championships. He is doing a fine job at the moment and I believe he is in with a good shout of winning a brand new Ford Focus if he is not found by the end of December.
In all seriousness, our wing options are limited when injury or absence strike. This is another area I would definitely focus on in January.
Now to the part of the transfer window I am not so keen on.
Some of our players have put in some jaw dropping performances in recent months. This has attracted media attention and admirers from other clubs. For me, I already have an underlying sense of dread of possible exits from the club. It is absolutely key that we hold onto our squad. The majority of these guys kept us up last year and with the correct additions I believe that they will keep us up again. I am sure the club will not be looking to sell in January unless they are offered a deal that they simply cannot refuse. Seeing Yannick Bolasie given a £10 million price tag yesterday quelled my anxiety a little.
Hopefully we can keep hold of our core squad and start pressing on.
I can only be positive about our current situation. We can push on and have a good season. Neil Warnock is not really the fans first choice to run the club but for the moment we have to back him and hope for the best. Deep breaths.
C’MON YOU PALACE!
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