What the underachievers need for Christmas

Christmas is a time for reflection and for some Premier League teams they will be left musing over what could have been in 2012...

 

Liverpool

9.6 to make the top four

 

Need: A striker

 

Why: Having only one recognised centre-forward at a club like Liverpool is bordering on scandalous. Luckily for them, their formerly wasteful Uruguayan has stepped up to the plate this term notching 10 Premier League goals and is currently available at 5.16 to finish top of the goal scoring charts. Still, Suarez's team-mates have only contributed 13 additional league goals, making back-up for their overworked star man paramount.

 

Who: Daniel Sturridge is a name which keeps being bandied about, though a lack of first team football combined with a questionable temperament, suggests he may not be the ideal move for the Reds. If Liverpool could find the right offer for Demba Ba instead, then their chances of finishing in the top four would be greatly improved.

 

 

Newcastle

3.6 to finish in the top half

 

Need: Reinforcements

 

Why: Newcastle's shoestring squad worked wonders last season but this time around its wafer - thinness has been ruthlessly exposed by a lengthening injury list. Injuries to key personnel such as Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor, Yohan Cabaye and most recently Hatem Ben Arfa have left the Magpies vulnerable, especially with a Europa League campaign to support.

 

Who: If Demba Ba does indeed leave for pastures new, then it goes without saying he will need to be replaced immediately, with Marseille frontman Loic Remy believed to be warming up. However, if Alan Pardew wants to get back to the sort of performance levels his side were displaying last season then he will need to reinforce in several positions. A creative midfielder, a left-back and a centre-back should be on his list to St Nicholas.

 

 

Sunderland

5.8 to finish in the top half

 

Need: A quality central midfielder

 

Why: The root causes of Sunderland's plight this season are a touch flummoxing. After all, Martin O'Neill possesses an almost identical squad to the one which provided him with seven wins from his first ten games in charge last season. The additions of quality players such as Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson, plus Danny Rose on loan, should have made them better yet this is clearly not the case. One identifiable area however is the middle of the park. While the likes of Craig Gardner and Lee Cattermole are decent enough players, they offer more in work-rate than guile.

 

Who: With a lack of obvious candidates on the market at present a loan move for Tottenham's Scott Parker could be ideal for the Black Cats. Parker was an integral part of Harry Redknapp's Spurs side but since his injury in the summer he has slipped someway down the pecking order behind Mousa Dembele, Sandro and Tom Huddlestone. That extra bit of quality in the midfield may just be the magic cure.

 

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