Despite our devastating loss of form during the last month, I still have complete faith in Eddie Howe. But the support of the public can only go so far in mitigating our difficulties.
Since our team’s 4-2 loss at Anfield last night, it has become evident that our owners still support Howe wholeheartedly, as they should. However, given our injured team’s state and urgent need for a boost in the new year, it is definitely time for them to support him in the transfer market.
A quick and agile defensive midfielder who can cover territory quickly and shield our back four.
A flexible attacker or a right-winger capable of competing with an unmotivated Miguel Almiron
A center back who can bolster our defense with presence and speed
Given that we haven’t looked the same since Nick Pope’s injury and that Callum Wilson is out of the Tyne and Wear derby due to yet another injury, there is a case to be made for a different goalkeeper.
Some publications are suggesting that unless we bring some of our summer budget forward, FFP may not allow us to sign all of the above this month. But if we want to salvage our season, we need to address at least two of these problematic spots this month.
Sure, the return of Willock, Anderson, and Barnes in the upcoming month would give Howe a tremendous lift, but that doesn’t provide any pace to our defense or a destructive CDM capable of defending a back four that appears to be open for grabs. Nottingham Forest went through us last night like a knife through butter, exploding past our back line and avoiding our midfield with too much ease. Liverpool could have scored seven or eight goals.
Regarding the right wing, I’ve always found it puzzling that we neglected to discuss this viewpoint during the summer. FFP is obviously a problem, but when the opposite flank really needed some updating, I was surprised to see another left-winger sign in Barnes. To be fair, Barnes is a seasoned Premier League player, and I have faith in him to perform well when healthy. However, it seemed like a strange decision given that Gordon has excelled at the exact position he plays and that our right side is deficient with Miggy and Murphy (who is currently out) as our only options in a Champions League season where a top-four finish was undoubtedly the goal.Big-money signings for our main targets—a speedy center-back and a quality right winger—may have to wait until the summer, when there will be more money available. However, this month, we desperately need a holding midfielder and a flexible forward who can inject new life into our worn-out assault.