Wednesday 15 January 2020

League Two: Where Each Team Could Strengthen


The transfer window has flung open its doors with teams now allowed to add fresh blood to their squads for the second half of the season. Here we assess the positions each team may look at to strengthen their team.

Bradford: Recalling Eoin Doyle has been their best move this window. The EFL’s top scorer returns to Bradford aiming to fire them to promotion having helped Swindon go top of L2. Gary Bowyer must accommodate Doyle in their style of play. A creative midfielder who scores goals could be top of their shopping list.

Cambridge: Its been a good season for Colin Calderwood’s team. Tying down Jack Roles for the rest of the season was a good move. Calderwood may explore the loan market to strengthen his squad.

Carlisle: Chris Beech has been extremely busy shaping the Carlisle team. Ethan Watt and Max Hunt have arrived. Expect Beech to strengthen Carlisle’s attack with goals in short supply.

Cheltenham: Its been a terrific season for the Robins. Michael Duff has already added Owen Evans and Alfie May to his ranks. They have also tied down Max Sheaf and Jacob Greaves for the rest of the season. Cheltenham may look to add a couple more players with central midfielders and centre backs on his list.

Colchester: John McGreal has managed to extend Theo Robinson’s loan. The striker has been a key player in Colchester’s season thus far. He may look to add further attacking options with Colchester drawing far too many games.

Crawley: Its been a positive return for John Yems since replacing Gabriele Cioffi. Yems could dip his toe in the transfer market. Defenders could be on his shopping list.

Crewe: Its been an excellent season for David Artell and Crewe. Expect a quiet window at Gresty Road with Crewe not expected to do too much business with their academy being their source of players.

Exeter: Promotion high-flyers Exeter have a quiet window. The Grecians have a well-balanced squad and like Crewe, they use their academy to grow their team.

Forest Green: Goals its as simple as that. Forest Green are in the promotion race but goals are extremely hard to come by. A new striker could be top of Mark Cooper’s shopping list. Jevani Brown and Josh March have already arrived. Forest Green may add a couple more to enhance their promotion bid.

Grimsby: Ian Holloway has only been at Grimsby a few weeks but already he is shaping the squad. Anthony Glennon and Billy Clarke has arrived so far and expect a few more as Holloway moulds the squad.

Leyton Orient: The O’s struggle to keep clean sheets. Defenders will be top of their list while goals are also in short supply. Orient may look to add another striker in the coming weeks.

Macclesfield: Surviving as a football club will be their aim. All sorts of financial issues are hindering any chances of signing new players.

Mansfield: Expect a busy window at Field Mill. Graham Coughlan wants to make big changes to the squad. He has told Krystian Pearce and Jacob Mellis they can leave. Others are expected to follow. Coughlan will also add new bodies to add Mansfield’s flailing season.

Morecambe: Derek Adams has already added 4 new players. Expect a few more as Adams’ plots survival in League 2. Goals are in short supply so expect at least one more striker to arrive.

Newport: Its been a busy window for Michael Flynn and Newport. A bad run of results has seen Newport act in the window. Four have arrived including striker Billy Waters and winger Jordan Green. Flynn may add another defender following Dan McNamara’s departure.

Northampton: Keith Curle’s team are enjoying a terrific season. The Cobblers are in the promotion race. He may look to the loan market to strengthen his team if he wants to.

Oldham: Its been a busy window already for Dino Maamria and Oldham. The Latics have signed four players including Salford duo Carl Piergianni and Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. Expect Maamria to continue shaping the Oldham with more expected to arrive and depart the club.

Plymouth: They have already added a new striker with Ryan Hardie in. Creativity has also been added in Tyreeq Bakinson. Ryan Lowe may look to add a couple more in the next few weeks as Plymouth charge towards the top three.

Port Vale: The Valiants are enjoying an excellent season. John Askey may look to add more creativity and shore up their defence in the coming weeks.

Salford: The Red Devils continue to be busy with each passing window. Four have arrived and five have departed. Expect those numbers to increase in the remainder of the window.

Scunthorpe: The Iron are extremely fragile at the back. Defenders will be top of Paul Hurst’s shopping list. Another midfielder could also be on his list.

Stevenage: They need goals. Stevenage just cannot score goals. They have scored just 16 league goals which is desperately poor. They need a goal scorer to get them out of trouble.

Swindon: The league leaders are expected to replace Eoin Doyle after the striker was recalled by Bradford. Anthony Grant is in on a permanent deal. Expect Swindon to maybe add a couple more players on loan.

Walsall: The Saddlers will look to address a few areas. They need a regular goal scorer with goals in short supply at times. They also need a few more bodies in midfield. Darrell Clarke will be aiming to get a few in to push Walsall up the table.

Tuesday 7 January 2020

League One: Where Each Team Could Strengthen In January


The transfer window has flung open its doors with teams now allowed to add fresh blood to their squads for the second half of the season. Here we assess the positions each team may look at to strengthen their team.

Accrington Stanley: John Coleman is always looking to strengthen his Accrington team. Players on loan and non-league talent are usually his way of doing business and expect that to be where he looks in January. Defenders could be high on his list with several loanees expected to return to their parent clubs.

AFC Wimbledon: The Dons are looking to ensure their League One safety. Glyn Hodges is expected to add a few new bodies during the window. Creative midfielders could be on his list with Wimbledon struggling for goals in midfield.

Blackpool: Simon Grayson has already flexed his muscles signing Jordan Thorniley from Sheffield Wednesday. That signing is in anticipation for defensive departures at Bloomfield Road. Ben Heneghan is attracting Championship interest with Sheffield United expected to recall him. Curtis Tilt is also attracting interest from the Championship. Simon Grayson is always open to adding fresh blood as Blackpool push the play-off places.

Bolton: The Trotters have already been busy adding new players. Three new arrivals including Ethan Hamilton who reunites with Keith Hill. Defenders are expected to be high on Keith Hill’s shopping list with Josh Earl and Jake Wright heading back to their parent clubs.

Bristol Rovers: New manager Ben Garner has only been in the job a couple of weeks but already is flexing his transfer muscles and moulding the squad in his eye. Young winger Jayden Mitchell-Lawson has arrived on loan from Derby. Garner’s main aim will be to keep top scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Burton: Nigel Clough needs fresh faces. Burton are very inconsistent and while they are pleasing to watch, they don’t always get the results. A solid defensive midfielder could be in his thinking as well as some fresh defensive faces.

Coventry: Promotion hunting Coventry will be out to ensure their key players remain at the club. There is Championship interest in Zaine Westbrooke and Jordan Shipley. In terms of incomings, Mark Robins may look at shoring up the defence.

Doncaster: Darren Moore has enjoyed a decent start at Doncaster. They play some good football but are inconsistent. They are in the play-off race, but they lack goals. A striker could be high on Moore’s list along with an experienced head in a young Doncaster defence.

Fleetwood: Joey Barton has already added talented right back Callum Connolly to his ranks. He is most likely to be a direct replacement for Lewis Coyle who is attracting interest from bigger clubs. Barton may add further additions to strengthen Fleetwood’s promotion bid.

Gillingham: Steve Evans loves a transfer window and no doubt he will look to add quality to Gillingham’s play-off bid. Keeping Olly Lee will be his main aim with the midfielder’s loan due to expire soon. A striker could be on his list with Gillingham lacking a clinical, regular goal scorer.

Ipswich: Paul Lambert’s Ipswich need a couple of fresh faces. The tractor boys are in the promotion race but haven’t won a league game since the beginning of November. Goals and creativity have eluded Ipswich in recent weeks so Lambert could address the forward areas.

Lincoln: This is a golden opportunity for Michael Appleton to stamp his name firmly on the Lincoln squad. He is looking to shape the squad in his eye and steer away from Danny Cowley’s Lincoln. He has already added a new signing in midfielder Zak Elbouzedi. Expect a few more additions as Lincoln look to ensure their safety in League One.

MK Dons: The Dons are desperately short on goals and creativity despite a recent upturn in results. A striker and creative midfielder will be high on Russell Martin’s list. He may also look to shore up the Dons defence as they face relegation in League One.

Oxford United: Karl Robinson continues to do an excellent job with the U’s. They are looking a strong contender for promotion. Robinson will want to keep his key players like Shandon Baptiste with Championship clubs circling. Robinson may want a couple of additions to continue their charge.

Peterborough: Posh started like a train and recently have dipped in terms of results. Keeping their front three will be their aim with Eisa, Maddison and Toney attracting interest from above. Darren Ferguson has added creative midfielder Reece Brown and may well look to add more faces in midfield.

Portsmouth: It’s been a very busy start to the window for Pompey. Steve Seddon, Reeco Hackett-Fairchild and Cameron McGeehan have all arrived in the opening few days. Kenny Jackett is getting business done to continue Pompey’s climb up the table. They have lacked options at centre back so Jackett may look to address that in the next few weeks.

Rochdale: Dale stick to their principal by bringing young players through their academy. But Brian Barry-Murphy will still be looking to add to his squad with Rochdale battling relegation. A new centre back and striker on loan could be on his list.

Rotherham: The Millers are motoring nicely and are very much in the promotion race. Keeping key players like Matt Crooks will be Paul Warne’s aim in the window. However, Paul Warne is open to adding new faces so the Millers may address a few areas.

Shrewsbury: Sam Ricketts is enjoying a terrific season at Shrewsbury. The Shrews are in the race for a play-off spot and may add a couple of fresh faces to add their charge. Defensive midfielder and winger could be on Ricketts’ shopping list.

Southend: Where do you start? Southend need a huge boost in January. Relegation looks inevitable with Sol Campbell yet to win a league game since taking over. Their defence is a total mess and they severely lack goals. Defenders will be high on 
Campbell’s shopping list as well as a new striker and creative midfielder.

Sunderland: Despite the owners openly putting Sunderland up for sale, Sunderland will be adding players to their squad. Phil Parkinson wants fresh blood to aid Sunderland’s flailing promotion bid. Aiden McGeady is leaving the club so more creativity and goals will be needed. They lack firepower so Parkinson is targeting fresh attacking impetus.

Tranmere: Micky Mellon has already been busy strengthening Tranmere’s survival bid. Peter Clarke and Luke McCullough are in to aid Tranmere’s leaky defence while Alex Woodyard is in looking to recapture his terrific form shown at Lincoln. Mellon may want to add a couple more with a striker potentially on his list.

Wycombe: Their unlikely promotion bid is looking good, but Gareth Ainsworth will want a couple of new faces now that a takeover has been completed. Funds have been promised meaning Wycombe could flex their muscles in the window. A new midfielder could be on their list as the Chairboys look to secure a place in the Championship.

Monday 6 January 2020

Championship: Where Each Team Could Strengthen In January


The transfer window has flung open its doors with teams now allowed to add fresh blood to their squads for the second half of the season. Here we assess the positions each team may look at to strengthen their team.

Barnsley: Gerhard Struber has certainly ignited Barnsley’s survival charge since taking over in November. The Tykes are full of confidence, scoring goals and playing some good football. Struber is expected to add fresh faces to his squad as his shapes the team in his image. Marcel Ritzmaier has already arrived from his former Wolfsberger. A striker and defenders could be high on Struber’s shopping list.

Birmingham City: It's been a mixed season for Pep Clotet and Birmingham. The Blues have shown they are a good side, but they severely lack consistency. There has been a huge transition of players at the club and there could be more action in January. Clotet could be looking to strengthen the Blues backline with Birmingham leaking plenty of goals in recent weeks. They also lack creativity in midfield so expect Clotet to address that.

Blackburn: Replacing the injured Bradley Dack could be high on Tony Mowbray’s shopping list. The loss of Dack has hit Blackburn hard so expect Mowbray to address that. Another striker could also be high on the list with Blackburn’s forwards struggling to find the net consistently.

Brentford: It has been a strong first half of the season for the Bees. Thomas Frank wants to continue their promotion charge. He has admitted he wants another forward despite the arrival of Hilal Dervisoglu. However, his main target will be keeping the likes of Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma at the club.

Bristol City: Lee Johnson wants more firepower and creativity at Bristol City. The Robins want another striker in January to try and get them back into the promotion race. A disappointing December has left the fans frustrated and unhappy. Expect Lee Johnson to add a couple of bodies most likely on loan.

Cardiff: Expect a busy window at Cardiff. Neil Harris has promised changes with the squad far too big for his liking as well as poor performances from the players. A mini revamp is expected with Cardiff outside the play-off places.

Charlton: A new set of owners has brought new optimism to Charlton. East Street Investments are in and determined to back Lee Bowyer in every way possible. Andre Green has already arrived on loan from Aston Villa. Charlton are expected to be busy over the next few weeks.

Derby: Its been a slow start for Philip Cocu at Derby but he is slowly getting what he wants from the players. Owner Mel Morris has promised they will be new signings in January. Kieran Dowell has cut short his loan and Derby will look to fill that void.

Fulham: Scott Parker may be seeking new blood to aid Fulham’s promotion push. Michael Hector is ready to play after his move was fully confirmed. He will aid a shaky Fulham defence. A new striker to compete with Aleksandar Mitrovic could be high on their list.

Huddersfield: It’s been a much-improved Huddersfield since Danny Cowley took over in September. However, injuries have blighted his team so expect Huddersfield to be active in January. Cowley will be assessing all positions as he looks to ensure Huddersfield remain a Championship club. Loan deals more than permanent deals are likely for the Terriers.

Hull: Keeping Jarrod Bowen will be the focus of the transfer window. The striker is attracting interest from Premier League clubs. But keeping him gives Hull a great chance to finish in the play-off places. Grant McCann will be looking to add a few faces and has already brought Herbie Kane on loan from Liverpool. The Tigers will be active as they look to push the play-off places.

Leeds: A new striker will high on their list. Leeds only have Patrick Bamford on their books after Eddie Nketiah ended his loan at the club. So, Marcelo Bielsa will be looking for a least one attacker and maybe another centre half.

Luton: The Hatters needed experience and defensive-minded players. They are desperately struggling in the Championship with wins eluding them. They leak far too many goals especially away from Kenilworth Road. Defenders will be top of Graeme Jones’ shopping list.

Middlesbrough: Firepower and creativity are in short supply at Boro. Jonathan Woodgate is slowly getting the best out of his players and already has new faces in Patrick Roberts and Lukas Nmecha through the door. He needs more firepower and creativity with Boro lacking options in the forward areas.

Millwall: Gary Rowett has enjoyed a terrific start at Millwall. He arrived in October and has taken Millwall by storm. However, he will want to add a couple of players who fit his style. He will also want to ensure Jed Wallace doesn’t leave the club with interest growing in Millwall’s talisman.

Nottingham Forest: It was a big summer in terms of player transfers for Forest. Sabri Lamouchi has done an excellent job thus far with Forest comfortably sat in the top 6. However, Lamouchi may want another striker to ease the burden on Lewis Grabban.

Preston: The Lilywhites are enjoying an excellent season. Alex Neil’s team are very much in the promotion race and are proving a tough nut to crack. However, Alex Neil may want a few fresh faces to continue Preston’s charge.

QPR: While QPR are excellent going forward, The R’s are desperately disappointing at the back. They concede far too many goals for a side wanting to challenge for promotion. Mark Warburton may look at adding to his defence. However, his big priority is ensuring Eberechi Eze remains a QPR player.

Reading: It’s been a terrific turnaround at Reading under Mark Bowen. They are very much pulling away from the drop and looking up. Reading will be looking at some form of business in January despite their big summer window. It will be loan deals for the Royals if Bowen does add to his squad.

Sheffield Wednesday: A new striker will be high on Garry Monk’s shopping list. Without Steven Fletcher in the team, the Owls severely lack goals and firepower. Monk may want to add further faces in midfield. Loans are looking likely for Wednesday with Financial Fair Play hovering over the club.

Stoke: Michael O’Neill has certainly got Stoke motoring since taking over. However, they still hover dangerously above the bottom three. O’Neill will target new players to get Stoke clear from danger. It will be a window where Stoke attempts to clear out the deadwood at the club. Badou Ndiaye has already left and more are expected to follow.

Swansea: Swansea are looking good under Steve Cooper but no doubt the Swansea boss wants a few signings in January. He has already lost Sam Surridge who has been recalled by Bournemouth. Expect Swansea to fill that void and add a couple more. Most likely to be loan deals for the Swans.

West Brom: Slaven Bilic has said West Brom will only add players if they fit the squad and add more quality to what he has. Matheus Pereira’s loan is going to be made permanent according to Bilic. He may want another midfielder and possibly another striker as West Brom charge towards the Premier League.

Wigan: Creativity and goals are a priority area for Wigan. The Latics severely lack goals and creativity which is why they are stuck in the bottom three. Kieran Dowell has arrived on loan from Everton but certainly, Paul Cook will want a couple more in that area.