Does it Mata?

Steven Nzonzi and Joel Ward battling for possession

Did the loss at Crystal Palace badly affect Stoke City's hopes and aspirations for the season? It does not help them reach their targets, no loss would, yet they still remain in an intriguing position along with eleven other teams.Two wins from 20th placed Cardiff could send them up to 10th with results going their way. So for Stoke in 14th with only 2 points between themselves and 10th, the gap going up should not be bothersome. The gap going down is more of a concern, with only 4 points separating Stoke from the foot of the table, yet there are positives in the next batch of Premier League fixtures. Norwich, Swansea, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Hull, Aston Villa, West Brom, West Ham, Sunderland and naturally Stoke all have the potential to drop points in the next round of fixtures due to a large amount of these teams facing off against one another. These games will be seen by all teams as a chance to break away from the bottom pack, and Stoke, travelling to Sunderland, have to make sure that they are in the group breaking off towards the top half of the table. There is potential for a tough game after Sunderland's impressive aggregate victory over Manchester United in the League Cup semi-final, and a FA Cup fourth round fixture against Kidderminster is between them and a game against the Potters. Whilst the Black Cats play a Conference side, the Potters will be facing off against a side that are about to sell their two-time player of the season - Juan Mata -  to Manchester United, a game also made more difficult by the victory Stoke achieved in December. Chelsea will be wanting revenge, and Stoke will have to ready themselves for perhaps Chelsea's performance of the season. Come the game at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday, whose team will be more prepared for the game, and who will be the more hungry for the victory? Whatever the result against Chelsea, they need to refocus their attention towards the league, and fast.

John Guidetti on his Stoke debut, but when will he come good?

Despite only playing one game for Stoke City, I feel that the pressure on John Guidetti is growing by the day. Despite public assurances that Kenwyne Jones has not burned all bridges with the club after his failed attempts to manufacture a transfer, it is highly unlikely that he will feature regularly in the first team between now and the end of his contract. This leaves Peter Crouch and John Guidetti as Stoke's only recognised strikers. Some have noted that Jon Walters could play as the sole man up front if injuries forced the situation upon the team, but I believe that as a player, he suits the role of a number 10, sitting in the hole and doing the dirty work in attack, rather than the number 9 role of finishing any chance that comes his way. This naturally comes from the past and current manager's preference to play him on the wing at times rather than as part of a front pairing, plus his goal tally for the season is not encouraging despite the number of chances he has had in games this season. I must make clear that whilst this is not a deliberate criticism of Jonathan Walters, it is an explanation as to why we need reinforcements in January if possible.

Jason Puncheon goes from Villain to Hero with one goal

The fact is that the transition Stoke City are attempting to make from one era to another is not going smoothly at the moment. Like a rollercoaster there have been highs and lows, but you have to know where you will level out at the end. At the moment, it is hard to know with the congestion in the table, but what we can tell is that it will be a tough fight. Prior to kick-off at Selhurst Park, I had belief that Stoke would dominate possession over Palace and that with a bit of trickery from Oussama Assaidi or a shot from range from Charlie Adam, Stoke would make their territorial advantage count. Whilst we had the advantage on the ball (57% possession), we failed to pressure Julian Speroni enough, with only two shots on target troubling him in 90 minutes. Counter this with the six from Palace, three of which were in the space of 10 seconds that forced Jack Butland into a wonderful triple save, Stoke failed to do enough to impose themselves on the game and demand a result. The ability to create goals is too infrequent, with three coming against Liverpool, yet none against Palace. The job of the coaching staff within the next week has to be finding some consistency, especially away from home where there are far 'easier' teams to play in the second half of the season (Sunderland, Southampton, Norwich, Aston Villa etc) compared to those who travel to the Britannia (Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle, Tottenham etc).Oussama Assaidi had a game to forget with his stray pass causing the only goal of the game, yet Marc Wilson will not be feeling pride in his performance after being sluggish to react to Assaidi's loose ball. If these mistakes can be cut out of Stoke's game, then the team has a chance of getting a point out of hard fixtures when a mistake at the back will offer the opposition the chance to take all three points in victory. Simple things such as improving concentration off the ball, improving reaction speeds can only help the team and I can only assume the coaching staff have enough in their lockers to work on this sooner rather than later.

Away from the Brit - Orange Cards:

Jerome Champagne has some radical ideas for the future of football

The introduction of orange cards to football would signal the end of the current state of the sport and the beginning of an evolution that at present is hard to chart where it could end. But it would be a start, of something that like Pandora's box would be hard to stop. Whilst I am an advocate for technology to assist referees make a correct decision, changing the laws of the game is another matter. Jerome Champagne has suggested that if he is elected FIFA president after Sepp Blatter, he will put forward a proposition to introduce orange cards into the sport for decisions deemed between a yellow and red card, with the punishment on the pitch following on from rugby and seeing sin-bins introduced. In principle, this is not a terrible idea. It is what it could lead to that should strike fear into the powers that be. If this works, then what happens if someone in the future decides that there should be an introduction of a green card that results in a player having to run the lap of the pitch for every foul they commit - Robert Huth would be the fittest player in the league with his uncompromising nature when tackling! Whilst I respect that Champagne wants to have a positive influence on the game, I feel that if he starts introducing new laws and interfering with the game we all know, the enjoyment of the game could dwindle fast. After all, what would Denis Smith and Alan Bloor think of receiving an orange card?

Quick Snippet - Pennant Problem?

Pennant likely to leave the Brit in the immediate future

Whilst his tackle against Leon Osman a few weeks ago was bad enough for most Stoke supporters to deem the player surplus to requirements, 'Twitter news' that Stoke are to release Jermaine Pennant within the coming days came as a surprise. As one of the group of supporters that did not want Pennant to remain at the club after the Tony Pulis era, I cannot say in full honesty that I am sorry to see him leave. All that needs to be said is that we will always have the FA Cup season. Players like Rory Delap, Danny Higginbotham and Dean Whitehead, who have the left the club in recent seasons because the time was right deserve far more respect than Pennant, in my opinion. For this reason, I say farewell and goodbye if the rumours follow through with an official confirmation in the coming days.

Same Hardware, Different Software

Charlie Adam has become a regular source of goals in recent weeks

I would challenge the most ardent and optimistic of Stoke City supporters to admit that they predicted eight goals would have been scored at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday, 12th January, 2014. The team has shown in fits and starts that they are capable of taking a game to the opposition, but this trait was lost for the majority of the game against now-fourth placed Liverpool. What it was replaced by was a desire to stay in the game, which became most evident with Stoke's last goal, showing a fire in the players and supporters alike that Stoke City is not a team that will go down without a fight. Teams of the past have sometimes been guilty of lowering their heads in preparation of the inevitable onslaught to come. At 2-0 down due to an unfortunate own goal and poor defending from Ryan Shawcross and Marc Wilson, it would have been no surprise to see the pattern of holding on for dear life to maintain.

Peter Crouch has now scored four league goals in eighteen games

What appeared surprising regarding the comeback was not that it happened, but who instigated it. Marko Arnautovic, who had been having a poor game up until this point, floated a cross into the box, where Peter Crouch could just place enough power, pace and accuracy on it to deceive Simon Mignolet and get Stoke back into the game. Critics of Crouch would state that four goals from eighteen games is a poor return, but it can be argued that he is scoring more goals than he did at his previous club, Tottenham Hotspur. In his two seasons at Spurs he scored 8 and 4 league goals from 38 and 34 appearances. In his first two seasons at Stoke he scored 10 and 7 league goals from 32 and 34 appearances. In both of his seasons at Stoke he has improved on his seasons at Spurs. Whilst the lack of goals in general is still a concern, perhaps Crouch is not all to blame for not being able to put the onion in the bag.

Wilson committing a 'Spanish foul' against Sterling, conceding a penalty

Perhaps refereeing injustices are to blame. Anthony Taylor admitted after the match that he felt that Raheem Sterling had conned him into giving a penalty to Liverpool, whilst Martin Atkinson has in recent weeks placed a target on his head should he enter the Potteries in the forthcoming weeks for his poor display at Newcastle. Whilst the referees have been poor though, perhaps the players response at times to these decisions have not been the best. At times after the penalty to Liverpool, Stoke were all over the place defensively, going into fouls with a bit of blood and thunder rather than due to necessity. Ryan Shawcross conceded a foul shortly after the penalty which I felt needed to be given just to get Ryan's head back on the game. He had by this point conceded an own goal, been at fault for not clearing a bad back-pass quick enough, and had seen a penalty go against his team. Of course he would be rattled. Whilst it didn't improve his game, perhaps being at fault for Liverpool's fourth goal as he was sucked into Daniel Sturridge's movements rather than tracking the run of Luis Suarez, Shawcross did not make any more silly decisions of note.

A consolation goal in the end for Stoke, from Jon Walters

Sandwiched between Liverpool's fourth and fifth was a scruffy finish from Jonathan Walters, a goal he was fortunate to get regarding the finish, but one he deserved due to the criticism he sometimes receives. It is not hard to understand why he receives it regarding his goal tally, with only 2 goals in all competitions this season. His supporters might argue that he plays like former Liverpool player Dirk Kuyt, working tirelessly all over the pitch at perhaps his own detriment, yet if you tell him to stay in position up front, he can score you goals. His deployment on the wing this season, plus Mark Hughes decision not to refer to him when discussing his striking options, suggests that Walters has been told to worry less about his goal output and perhaps more on his defensive duties. Against Liverpool I think he had a bad game in this respect, which is where I am glad that he got his goal, meaning that even if he failed with his main objective, he still contributed to the game. Geoff Cameron's runs forward this season have created more work for Jon Walters as he has to create the right balance between attack and defence. If he is ahead of Geoff in an attack, he makes a run to support it. If he is behind him, he drops into the space that has been left by Cameron's run. By and large this season I feel that Walters has done his job in supporting Cameron, but in this game I feel Mark Hughes was perhaps at fault in playing him against Aly Cissokho. A new-comer still to the Premier League, perhaps unleashing Arnautovic and Cameron on him, whilst placing Walters on the opposite wing to track Glen Johnson may have been a more prudent option. Overall, the decision matters little as Liverpool were in control for large parts of the game, especially in the second half when two goals ahead. Sturridge's goal to make the score 3-5 made the game comfortable for them again and despite a few set-pieces causing problems, they saw the game out. Based on this performance, I would still argue that they are worthy of a top-four place, perhaps even a top-two position, on the condition that the luck that they received in this game remains for the rest of the season. Rarely will a team play Stoke and score five goals, let alone four goals which were from poor defensive decisions or plain bad luck. The priority for Stoke now, to maintain their push for the top ten rather than the bottom three is to get three points this weekend. No problem, right?

Weekend Preview - Crystal Pulis:

Tony Pulis has a 40% win rate at Crystal Palace so far

Twelve months ago, I would have predicted this fixture to be in Stoke's list for the season. At a time we looked to either be on course for relegation or Palace looked on course for promotion. It seemed likely our paths would cross. What I failed to predict was that instead of it being the second battle of the season between Ian Holloway and Tony Pulis, it would be Tony Pulis's first match against Stoke City in the Premier League. Anyone who tries to avoid this elephant in the room is in for a tough time, because whatever your opinion of Tony Pulis's reign as manager at Stoke City, the facts are sound. They state that he was in charge during a promotion to the Premier League, where during five seasons they flirted with the top ten, had a run to a FA Cup Final, and reached the last sixteen in Europe, plus reached the quarter final of both domestic cups multiple times. The last two seasons were unfortunate for Tony, and as a result for Stoke, where a lack of goals heaped the pressure onto Pulis before his eventual dismissal this summer.

Marouane Chamakh has scored more regularly under
Tony Pulis than he did under Ian Holloway or Keith Millen

Eight months on and Tony Pulis is the enemy for the weekend. As it has been reported, both sides know the strengths and weaknesses of the other in certain areas. Stoke know the advantages and disadvantages of the system Tony Pulis uses, a static back four with two defensive midfielders. Likewise, Pulis knows the pros and cons of most about 85-90% of the current Stoke squad just from working with them and as such will know how to exploit and poor areas of play each player has. With on-loan Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh leading the Palace front-line, they have struck up the type of partnership that Stoke fans may have hoped could have been formed with Crouch and Jerome. What they lack as a partnership is goals though, with Jerome only scoring one goal in fifteen appearances, whilst Chamakh has a better rate with 4 in 20 appearances. Dwight Gayle has chipped in with goals recently against Aston Villa and West Brom so do not rule out Gayle starting and trying to complete his own personal Midlands hat-trick. Despite being young and raw, I have been impressed with Gayle's touch for a goal. His overall game needs improving quite a bit, and perhaps Tony Pulis is not the best manager to improve him as a modern-day front-man, but at Palace he will get a good grounding and get chances to impress. Meanwhile, Palace are playing with inverted wingers Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie providing the width in the team, with Miles Jedinak the mainstay in their midfield. When Stoke failed in the last few years, it was because their wingers were marked out of the game. This has to be the approach on Saturday, try to keep Puncheon and Bolasie quiet, and as a result keep Chamakh and possibly Gayle out of the game. If the defence does this, then against Danny Gabbidon and Damien Delaney, Stoke have a good chance of scoring goals. With Oussama Assaidi almost certain to return to the starting line-up, the question is who does he come in for? Whilst Marko Arnautovic created two of Stoke's three goals at the weekend, he would still only get a 6/10 for his performance that game. However, would a work-horse like Jonathan Walters be the best option to break down a stubborn defence such as the one that Palace will offer? I would be tempted to play Arnautovic and Assaidi on the wings from the start, and hope that one or both have the ability to unlock Palace's defence, and then bring on Walters if the game is tight and either full back needs better defensive support.

Away from the Brit - Theatre of Nightmares:

Wins have been hard to come by at Old Trafford this season
for the home team

After losses against Tottenham, Swansea and Sunderland, football supporters across the country will be wondering what has happened to Manchester United, if not be unduly concerned about their implosion. The simple explanation is that Sir Alex Ferguson has gone. He was the man that got the extra 20-30% out of his team, whilst using psychological tricks such as tapping his watch to make oppositions fear playing his team. That fear factor has undoubtedly gone, but so has any sign of needing to fear Manchester United. What was once a fortress has now seen four home league losses - by comparison Stoke have only seen two home losses in the league. The weight of pressure on Manchester United players to attack and win at home is undoubtedly causing trouble as their away form is better, with only two losses in the league at Anfield and the Etihad stadium.

One win from four games is poor form for last season's champions

From the outside looking in, what I have noticed most weeks is that there have been vast changes to their line-up, with no consistency being able to form between the key players on the pitch. One game it is Vidic and Evans in defence, Carrick and Cleverley in midfield, then the next game it is Smalling and Vidic in defence with Giggs and Fletcher in the centre. How can players perform if they aren't getting a consistent run. Looking at who their best players have been in recent weeks, Adnan Januzaj's name has cropped up regularly, with the youngster proving to be United's source of inspiration with van Persie and Rooney out injured. The other that has played well is Danny Welbeck, with the feeling being that he is the first name on the team sheet at the moment. Welbeck's run in the team has taken his league goal tally up to 8 goals in the season, one short of his United best of 9. His goal tally has drawn criticism in recent years when connected to his England call-ups, but he is proving a point that when he is played as the focal point of an attack, he will get goals. As he showed against Swansea recently, he will also miss chances, but at 23 years of age, it is promising, for England at least, to see this marked improvement in his goal output this season. David de Gea is the only other United player who has been given a run of games and he has made a decent fist of keeping United in some of the games they have lost, with the clangers he dropped in his first season at United appearing to be a thing of the past. I would still argue that Asmir Begovic is better than him due to Begovic's far impressive physique and ability to collect the ball, but De Gea is impressing nevertheless at, again, 23 years of age. The argument I am making, which seems not to have been picked up by the media as much, is that Moyes should focus less on rotation, and more on consistency within the team. If he starts selecting a starting XI with more consistency down the spine, the results will pick up again. Looking at his time at Everton, it is unlikely he will fail to realise this eventually. His defence at Everton always had consistency, with Jagielka and Distin, and before them Jagielka and Lescott always been certain selections if fit. Moyes, given time, will realise this I suspect, but will it be too late for them to rescue their season?

Quick Snippet - John Guidetti

John Guidetti, 20 goals in 23 appearances in Holland

John Guidetti is an enigma at the moment. A player with such promise after such a good spell with Feyenoord that the only doubt supporters can have over him is whether he can cut it in the Premier League. Perhaps an unfair criticism. As has been mentioned in this post, Crouch has only scored four goals in the league this season, Walters with two and Jones has none. Guidetti, from the bench to begin with, may prove to be a worthwhile acquisition as he has pace, something all of the above lack, whilst he has a good scoring record elsewhere. The proof will be in the pudding, but hopefully a few substitute appearances will impress both management and supporters alike in the near future.

Starve the Scousers

Crouch started the festive period off well with a winner
against Aston Villa

Although it seems like little to no time has passed since the last match report, Stoke City have endured a mixed bag of results during the five matches across the festive period. Despite victories against Aston Villa and Leicester (in the FA Cup) being encouraging, losses to Newcastle and Tottenham, coupled by a harsh draw with Everton has left Potters fans puzzled as usual as to where they will stand come the end of the season. Some feel that the squad will not survive relegation if they do not strengthen; some feel that the squad is strong as it is and would survive, whilst others believe that with the right investment in January, the squad could target the top half of the table. In my recent Half Time Report, I stated that my belief is that despite results leaning towards a transitional period for the club, the players that we currently have will be capable of staving off relegation, but I also tipped the club for a top 10 finish. If it had not been for small flash-points in games: a missed penalty, a harsh red card, a strange substitution, an injury to an important player, Stoke could have been higher than they are right now. However, most clubs in the league would also believe their club could be higher in the league if they had seen a fairer share of luck.

Glenn Whelan receives a second yellow card against Newcastle
when common sense could have spared the midfielder

In the first game of the festive period against Aston Villa, Stoke were fortunate not to have had a man sent off when Marc Wilson was caught just outside the penalty area, the Irishman was fortunate at this time however. The same could not be said of Erik Pieters, my choice of new signing of the season so far, who had the misfortune of heading the ball back to Asmir Begovic, and not putting enough pace on the ball so that Libor Kozak could intervene and level the game. Come Boxing Day and more misfortune would come to the Stoke squad, before kick-off, with the news that Asmir Begovic would be unavailable for the next six weeks with a broken finger. Thomas Sorenson, whilst an able deputy and a worthy inclusion in Stoke's hall of fame, he did not instil confidence in supporters prior to kick-off. After the sendings off of Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson, both harsh but understandable in the cold light of day, Sorenson showed his composure in saving the resulting penalty from Wilson's red, keeping up his reputation of being an excellent penalty goalkeeper. Sadly for Sorenson, instead of being awarded with a break in play when Mike Williamson should have been punished for a handball in Newcastle's half, Stoke were caught and conceded a bitter goal. What was to follow though was an onslaught, not helped by Martin Atkinson who failed to reward Stoke with any key decisions that could have stemmed the tide, the second goal for Newcastle coming from a ball into the box that should have been called out of play. Newcastle were professional in the end, but before the sending off, they were not magnificent.

Oussama Assaidi, Stoke's most consistent player over the festive period

The hang-over result at Tottenham was little surprise, yet Stoke did not help themselves in this game by conceding their third penalty in two games. With Roberto Soldado scoring to put Spurs in front, it seemed impossible for Stoke to get back into this game. As it proved to be with the main highlight of this game proving not to be the further two goals from Moussa Dembele or Aaron Lennon, but the Charlie Adam tackle on Paulinho that Tottenham described as 'hard', continuing their vendetta against Adam. It cannot be denied that Charlie Adam is not a good tackler. I have pushed for Mark Hughes to drop Adam at times this season due to this poor attribute, with his inability to tackle correctly causing troubles at key points during the season. This tackle though that Spurs have highlighted was no worse than some that Adam has committed this season, it is just the aftermath that is disappointing with Paulinho facing a spell on the sidelines. This is not a defence of Adam as a midfielder hardman, but as a person, stating that whilst he has committed poor tackles against Spurs players in the past, Adam has merely been unfortunate to have been the player to commit to these fouls against this one team. One player who has been fortunate though in recent weeks has been Oussama Assaidi who has been rewarded for his goal against Chelsea with consecutive starts against Hull City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham, Everton and Leicester. This run will come to an end with Liverpool coming to the Britannia Stadium this weekend but Assaidi should feel proud of his recent performances. Reports of moves in the summer to Lazio or Florentina seem a bit premature based on a month's good form, but for the sake of the player I hope he continues to impress until May at the very least. His goals against Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton have shown that he does not shy himself away when a tough shot is on the cards, commonly roaming at the far post in the box so that he can pick up loose crosses and try to cause trouble by cutting inside with his right foot. His pace has also given Stoke a new outlet whilst Marko Arnautovic remains out of form, offering Stoke an option that other starting players do not possess.

Marko Arnautovic, a player looking as if he is playing through injury

Arnautovic's performances of late have been unimpressive, perhaps of a player who is recovering from an injury and needs time to regain top form. Sitting on the bench will not help him in this situation so it is good for him that he started the game against Leicester in the FA Cup, ahead of hopefully ninety minutes against Liverpool at the weekend. If he performs well against Liverpool, I would hope that he could retain his place in the side, even at the expense of Jonathan Walters as he and Assaidi both offer trickery and pose more questions for defences. Whilst I am a fan of Walters, he is a blunt instrument, reliable in his defensive duties, but a battering ram in his offensive ventures. Against a very tough Crystal Palace in two weeks' time, having two adventurous forwards will hopefully have the effect of unlocking a cast-iron door rather than trying to knock it down with a wooden log.

Talking Tactics - Stoke City vs Liverpool:

I would make only a few changes for the visit of Liverpool, one enforced with the ineligibility of Oussama Assaidi. Marko Arnautovic is the natural replacement for Assaidi, with a good game due from the Austrian in the red and white stripes. Jack Butland is in the team on the basis that Thomas Sorenson remains injured for the fixture, although if he recovers in time I would expect him to return to the starting line-up despite Butland's good performances against Everton and Leicester. The only other change from the Everton game that I would like to see is Stephen Ireland coming in for Charlie Adam, who in fairness has played well in recent games, but he is always a bad challenge away from trouble. If Adam plays, I will have no concerns, until that first bad tackle, and then I suspect all Stoke supporters will be on edge. Ireland offers some security that he will put in a steady performance in all areas, even if he does not wow the paying customers. For that reason he would get in my team for this game.

Stoke's major concern should be how to defend against Liverpool, and in particular how to stop Luis Suarez. Across the Christmas period he showed that he can be stopped, with Vincent Kompany and John Terry keeping him in their pockets for the two big games Liverpool played in that period. If Ryan Shawcross still has aspirations of being an England international, he needs to put in a good performance against Suarez, keeping tight to him, but not too tight that he can make him look like a fool. The likely return of Steven Gerrard to Liverpool's starting line-up may not help the club for once, with Jordan Henderson playing well during the festive period just behind Suarez. It would also be unfair if one of Lucas or Joe Allen were to be replaced due to the return of Gerrard so the return of their captain may not necessarily be a good thing. The key thing the Stoke team will have to watch out for tactically will be the shape of Brendan Rodgers's team, with the return of Daniel Sturridge offering Liverpool the option of playing with a back four or a back three/five. I would suspect that they will start the game with a back four, hoping that Suarez alone up front will be enough to break Stoke down, but if the Potters take the lead, or Liverpool do not look like scoring early in the second half, do not be surprised to see a tactical change. Stoke historically in the Premier League do not play well against teams who play with three at the back so this is something that will need to change, hopefully by exploiting any gaps the team sees out wide to double up on Liverpool's wing-backs.

Quick Snippet - Thomas Hitzlsperger:

Thomas Hitzlsperger announced his sexuality this week after retiring
from football at the end of last season.

It was a surprise to hear about Thomas Hitzlsperger announcing his sexuality this week, but only because you wonder why it is such a hot topic in football still. Are dressing room atmospheres that toxic regarding homosexuality? Hitzlsperger in his statement mentioned that he would not join in banter if it crossed a line regarding sexuality, but the question should be asked why does it need to go that far? Football players are all human beings and that is something that can be easily forgotten with 3D models readily available on games consoles in the present day. If a player denies something that is important about himself though, it can only affect his career in the long-run. I could only imagine that it would require extra concerns over privacy, making sure that nothing gets leaked to the press regarding who he sleeps with, all to the detriment of the player's career. In the long-run, footballers should be braver and not be afraid to say who they are. The trouble is, it will take a brave person to make this first move whilst they're still playing. Because whilst Hitzlsperger is a high-profile player, he is still no out of the limelight.

Half-time Report

In July, I made some pre-season predictions for all twenty Premier League clubs. After 19 fixtures played, this seems a suitable time to compare my predictions to reality and to see where things stand now.

Arsenal:

Summer Signings - Yaya Sanogo, Mathieu Flamini, Emiliano Viviano (loan), Mesut Ozil.
Notable Players Left - Andrey Arshavin, Francis Coquelin, Denilson, Johan Djourou, Vito Mannone, Sebastien Squillaci, Andre Santos, Gervinho, Marouane Chamakh.
Pre-Season Hopes - To win a trophy.
Are they on target? Despite going out relatively early in the Capital One Cup, most Gunners fans will not be too despondent as they sit at the top of the Premier League after 19 games played. Before the signing of Mesut Ozil, I suspected that Arsenal would be a team to beat this season due to the settled nature of their squad compared to the rest of the league, and at times this has proved to be the case. Despite being top, I still suspect they will falter and finish in the top three, purely due to a lack of strength in depth in their squad. A few signings in January though could change that opinion very quickly though.

Predicted Finish in July - 3rd.
Predicted Finish now - 3rd.
Predicted Champions League Finish in July - Last 16.
Predicted Champions League Finish now - Last 16.

Best Signing? Mathieu Flamini may not be a popular name in Stoke-on-Trent after his altercation with Marc Wilson back in September, but he has arguably been Arsenal's most influential player this season. Whilst Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey have stole the headlines with their goals and assists, when Flamini has failed to perform, Arsenal have flattered to deceive.

Who should they sign? They could do with cover for Flamini as he has been injury prone for years before his recent resurrection this season. Whilst eyes have been placed on Yohan Cabaye at Newcastle, I would think his midfield partner Cheick Tiote would be a better fit, as a combative midfielder is required more than a pin-point passer. A striker who could take the burden from Olivier Giroud would be useful, although with January being a hard time to purchase a 20+ goals striker, then for their short term needs, Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski can provide competition up front.

Final Verdict - on target.

Aston Villa:

Summer Signings - Aleksandar Tonev, Jores Okore, Leandro Bacuna, Nicklas Helenius, Antonio Luna, Jed Steer, Libor Kozak.
Notable Players Left - Richard Dunne, Jean II Makoun, Eric Lichaj, Andy Marshall, Brett Holman, Derrick Williams, Darren Bent, Stephen Ireland, Barry Bannan.
Pre-Season Hopes - To avoid relegation.
Are they on target? They're around their target, as to say that they are on target is questionable. Pre-season I felt that their ability to hold onto Christian Benteke would be key, with his goals last season keeping them in the division. Whilst they did manage to keep ahold of him, his goal tally has decreased this season due to a combination of injuries and a poor run of form. As a result their goal tally has not been impressive of late, with a recent run of four straight losses only being halted by a 1-1 draw versus Swansea. If Benteke cannot regain his previous form soon, then Villa will need to find a plan B fast as they are sinking fast at their current rate.

Predicted Finish in July - 15th.
Predicted Finish now - 14th, due to other team's performances

Best Signing? Leandro Bacuna has been a worthwhile acquisition for the Villains, with his ability to score from free kicks helping Villa at critical times so far this season, notably in their victory over Manchester City.

Who should they sign? Ahead of Stoke's recent match against Aston Villa, I noted that I could not understand why they were so willing to release Stephen Ireland. Whilst he is a hit and miss player, he is someone who looks to take responsibility in the final third. This is something that I feel Villa have lacked this season, especially when Benteke has not played as there is no midfielder at the club who is willing to play a risky pass to put their striker through on goal - which sounds familiar! As an outside bet, Villa would be an interesting side for Will Hughes of Derby to join, where he has been at the fore-front of attacks all season despite being a steady midfielder.

Final Verdict - On target, just about.

Cardiff City:

Summer Signings - Andreas Cornelius, John Brayford, Simon Moore, Steven Caulker, Gary Medel, Kevin Theophile-Catherine, Maximiliano Amondarain, Peter Odemwingie.
Notable Players Left - Heidar Helguson, Stephen McPhail.
Managerial Change - Malky Mackay sacked, no replacement at present.
Pre-Season Hopes - To avoid relegation.
Are they on target? Currently they are, but once the club appoint a new manager, who knows? Malky Mackay did a good job in the first half of the season to get Cardiff up to 16th position in the league, strengthening most areas of his team after my first round of predictions. Steven Caulker and Gary Medel whilst not impressing mightily have shown a touch of class that suggests that if the right manager goes to Cardiff, they do have a hope of staying up. The question remains though as to whether the right manager would be willing to go to Cardiff with Vincent Tan in charge.

Predicted Finish in July - 13th
Predicted Finish now - 15th, dependant on the new manager.

Best Signing? Gary Medel has to be the best signing that Malky Mackay made this summer as the players around him are still raw to the top division of football. Looking at Mackay signings though from 2013 though, Fraizer Campbell has proved to be a shrewd purchase with four goals coming from 19 appearances this season.

Who should they sign? Looking at Cardiff's squad, the goalkeeper position appears the most susceptible if David Marshall was to suffer an injury. Joe Lewis has a Premier League appearance to his name this season against Hull City, and despite a promising early career where he was part of Peterborough's rise to the Championship, he has moved to obscurity. If Cardiff could sign a more dependable deputy, a Shay Given for example, who could challenge Marshall as well as cover for him, then they would have competition in a key area of the pitch. Naturally a goalscorer would be handy, but the question of who is something that will be down to finances. After all, any transfers may be tricky if Tan remains firm that not a penny shall be spent this January.

Final Verdict - On target.

Chelsea:

Summer Signings - Andre Schurrle, Marco van Ginkel, Mark Schwarzer, Cristian Cuevas, Willian, Samuel Eto'o, Christian Atsu.
Notable Players Left - Yossi Benayoun, Florent Malouda, Paulo Ferreira, Ross Turnbull, Thibaut Courtois, Marko Marin, Oriol Romeu, Wallace, Christian Atsu (loan), Victor Moses (loan), Romelu Lukaku (loan).
Pre-Season Hopes - to win the league.
Are they on target? No, and that is despite ending 2013 with a 2-1 win over Liverpool and sitting in third place. Where they are failing is up front, with goals from strikers being a rarity from the Blues. There have been six league goals between the three strikers (Eto'o, Torres and Ba), compared to the eight league goals from Lukaku on loan at Everton. Whether this is a tactical fault from Mourinho and he is deploying his strikers as a focal point of attack rather than the player to finish off the attack, or if it is the players themselves is to be debated. Whichever it is, they need to sort this problem out to remain in the top four in my opinion. They are currently winning games by remaining professional in games, with 1-0, 2-1 results being the order of the day. As Stoke showed recently, their defence is not as strong as it was under Mourinho's first spell at Chelsea, whilst the attack is not free-flowing. Until the right balance is found, I cannot see them remaining in the top four by the end of the season.

Predicted Finish in July - 2nd.
Predicted Finish now - 5th.
Predicted Champions League Finish in July - Semi-finals.
Predicted Champions League Finish now - Quarter-finals.

Best Signing? In Pre-Season I went for Mark Schwarzer, and I do not believe he has done a bad job as Petr Cech's deputy in the Capital One Cup.However, I feel that Andre Schurrle deserves credit for being a tricky customer for opposition defenders to cope with. Whilst not a consistent pick for Mourinho and being out of the team on occasion, he has still notched up three league goals, two of which came against Stoke, neither of them being easy to execute.

Who should they sign? Wayne Rooney, or a striker in his mould. The three strikers Chelsea have at the club, not discounting Romelu Lukaku, are target men in the number nine mould. What Chelsea's system under Mourinho requires in my opinion is a number 10 striker, someone who will run from deep to finish a goal off, whilst still coming short to assist in build-up play. The likelihood of Chelsea signing Rooney is slim, but if rumours of Robin van Persie being unhappy with life under David Moyes, then it would not surprise me to see him make the move to Stamford Bridge this January.

Final Verdict - Underachieving.

Crystal Palace:

Summer Signings - Stephen Dobbie, Dwight Gayle, Jerome Thomas, Jose Campana, Elliot Grandin, Marouane Chamakh, Neil Alexander, Florian Marange, Jason Puncheon (loan), Jimmy Kebe, Jack Hunt, Adrian Mariappa, Barry Bannan, Cameron Jerome (loan).
Notable Players Left - Andre Moritz, Alex Marrow, Peter Ramage.
Managerial Change - Tony Pulis for Ian Holloway.
Pre-Season Hopes - to avoid relegation.
Are they on target? Up until the appointment of Tony Pulis as manager, I would have said they were not. In eight games, they had one victory and seven losses. Ian Holloway is a good manager, and he does deserve another chance in the top division when a chance presents itself. Where he failed at Palace was buying that many players that he did not know his best eleven from the back of his head. In the month that Keith Millen was in charge of the club, they gained four points from four games. Contrary to the belief about Tony Pulis, at Palace he has not done draws so far, with three wins and four losses taking Palace from the foot of the table at his appointment to 17th and just sitting outside of the relegation zone. If Palace can replicate their current form, and turn some of the losses into draws or wins, then they will have a better shot at survival.

Predicted Finish in July - 20th.
Predicted Finish now - 16th, dependant on business in January.

Best Signing? With a list of players that Palace have, it is hard to choose which one has had the biggest impact. The Stoke City supporter in me would love to say that Cameron Jerome has made the biggest impact, but only one goal from 13 appearances suggests that he is only just finding his feet at his loan club. However, if you were to look at just goals, then Marouane Chamakh would be the deserving winner of the award due to his four goals 18 appearances. For this reason, Barry Bannan seems a logical recipient of the best signing due to not impressing for Aston Villa last season, yet seeming to adapt well to his new club to make 13 starts since joining them on deadline day, scoring one goal.

Who should they sign? If you assume that Tony Pulis will go back to his old club for players, then a deal could be feasible to bring Kenwyne Jones to Selhurst Park. Whilst he became out of favour with Pulis towards the end of last season, the Trinidadian is still a capable goalscorer on his day, and his partnership with Cameron Jerome in the past has shown glimpses of promise.

Final Verdict - on target, potential for more.

Everton:

Summer Signings - Arouna Kone, Antolin Alcaraz, Joel Robles, Gerard Deulofeu, James McCarthy, Romelu Lukaku (loan), Gareth Barry (loan).
Notable Players Left: Thomas Hitzlsperger, Jan Mucha, Marouane Fellaini, Victor Anichebe.
Managerial Change - Roberto Martinez for David Moyes.
Pre-Season Hopes - to finish in the top four.
Are they on target? Yes, in fact they are exceeding my predictions this season. My pre-season prediction of a 7th placed finish is looking unlikely now as Everton are proving to be one of the toughest teams to garner points from, with only Manchester City and Sunderland gaining victories against them this season. Even during Romelu Lukaku's goal drought in December, the team kept securing points and rightfully sit in fourth place in the table. Whether they can keep this up depends on how the team is managed, with Phil Jagielka out throughout January, and Nikica Jelavic wanting away from Merseyside, limiting Martinez's ability to rotate his forward line.

Predicted Finish in July - 7th.
Predicted Finish now -  6th.

Best Signing? This is not the easiest decision as it is a choice between two outstanding deadline days acquisitions: Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku. Due to Barry only being involved in one loss this season for Everton, which was when Everton were down to ten men, I believe Barry should get the nod as being Everton's best summer buy. Lukaku's goals though are not to be sniffed at, with Chelsea fans scratching their heads as to why he is scoring them in Merseyside instead of London.

Who should they sign? It would be worthwhile Everton making one of Lukaku or Barry's loan moves permanent in January so that they can look to the loan market once again. With Wilfried Zaha likely to be available for a winter loan move, perhaps Everton could help to give the England youngster some game time, also providing their team with more competition in wide positions.

Final Verdict - Exceeding Expectations.

Fulham:

Summer Signings - Derek Boateng, Fernando Amorebieta, Maarten Stekelenburg, Giorgos Karagounis, Sascha Riether, Adel Taarabt (loan), Darren Bent (loan), Scott Parker, Elsad Zverotic.
Notable Players Left - Chris Baird, Simon Davies, Mahamadou Diarra, Mladen Petric, Mark Schwarzer.
Managerial Change - Rene Mulensteen for Martin Jol.
Club Takeover - Shahid Khan from Mohammed Al-Fayed
Pre-Season Hopes - Stability.
Are they on target? No. At present, they are my tips for relegation with Dimitar Berbatov leaning towards a move away from Fulham, whilst the rest of the team looks Championship standard at best. Brede Hangeland has been a miss for parts of the season but even when he was playing regularly, he seemed out of sorts and defensively unsteady. Whatever signings come into the club in January's window, they will define whether Fulham stay in the top flight or if they suffer relegation during Shahid Khan's first season in charge of the club.

Predicted Finish in July - 16th.
Predicted Finish now - 19th.

Best Signing? I think the player who has made the most impact has been Darren Bent, scoring two goals this season. Whilst this may seem an odd choice for the best summer signing, I believe that he is the best out of an odd bunch. Adel Taarabt has not lit up Craven Cottage, whilst Scott Parker has yet to stamp his authority on games in the way that he did to earn a move to Tottenham two years ago. Fernando Amorebieta has been an able defensive deputy but with Fulham currently in the relegation zone, you cannot say that his performances have been impressive, the same which can be said of Maarten Stekelenburg.

Who should they sign? It would be a left-wing signing, but Matthew Upson could do a job for Fulham defensively and offensively in the latter stages of the season if he could be persuaded to leave Brighton. At Stoke, he always seemed a capable defender, whilst proving to be a threat at set-pieces despite not being the tallest centre-back. With Hangeland out, Fulham need a defensive rock, and their current back-line looks susceptible on any given day. Having already signed Clint Dempsey on a two-month loan deal, they might have a good option in attack for the January and February fixtures when the games don't come as quick as over Christmas.

Final Verdict - Underachieving.

Hull City:

Summer Signings - George Boyd, Maynor Figueroa, Curtis Davies, Ahmed Elmohamady, Allan McGregor, Steve Harper, Danny Graham (loan), Yannick Sagbo, Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore (loan), Gedo (loan).
Notable Players Left - Seyi Olofinjana, Jay Simpson, Andy Dawson, Corry Evans, Mark Oxley (loan).
Pre-Season Hopes - to avoid relegation.
Are they on target? Yes, and it is down to their summer signings. In my pre-season predictions, I noted that at that point, Hull had failed to sign any proven Premier League players. In the time from then, Hull signed Tom Huddlestone and have effectively built their team around him. Their defence has been immense all season, with Manchester United being the first away team on Boxing Day to score three goals at the KC Stadium this season. The younger players in the squad have stepped up well, with Robbie Brady chipping in with goals, whilst James Chester has done well alongside Curtis Davies to form a formidable defensive partnership.

Predicted Finish in July - 18th.
Predicted Finish now -  11th.

Best Signing? Tom Huddlestone without a doubt. Curtis Davies has provided a strong backbone to Hull's defence, but Hull have built their team, offensively and defensively around Huddlestone. Whilst only chipping in with his first goal against Fulham recently, he has been the player ticking over most Hull moves this season. Like Luka Modric during his time at Tottenham, Huddlestone is not at the top of the assists chart, but he would be at the top of the assist of the assists, which for me earns him the title of best signing.

Who should they sign? Rumours floating around suggest that Hull will attempt to sign Nick Powell on loan from Manchester United if both parties agree that he should be playing a division higher for the second half of the season. With Hull using up their two domestic loans however, this could be tricky as they would have to sign or release one of these players to gain Powell. I would question whether they need him as he is not an out and out striker which they need, but more of an advanced midfielder. Steve Bruce could be tempted to go for Nicklas Bendtner again in January for extra support up front, although his recent record for Juventus and Arsenal could deter that move.

Final Verdict - Exceeding Expectations.

Liverpool:

Summer Signings - Kolo Toure, Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Simon Mignolet, Aly Cissokho, Tiago Ilori, Mamadou Sakho, Victor Moses (loan).
Notable Players Left - Danny Wilson, Jonjo Shelvey, Suso (loan), Pepe Reina (loan), Jay Spearing, Stewart Downing, Oussama Assaidi (loan), Daniel Pacheco, Fabio Borini (loan).
Pre-Season Hopes - Qualify for the Champions League.
Are they on target? Yes, and this is largely due to the return of Luis Suarez. Whilst Liverpool scored goals during the opening period of the season whilst he completed his ten game ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic, there was a likelihood they would dry up. Daniel Sturridge performed well for Liverpool at that time, but there was a feeling that he would go through a dry spell, and when he did, I suspect most Liverpool supporters knew they needed Suarez back by this point. Boy has he delivered. 19 goals from 14 league appearances shows a player that has been willing to make up for lost time, scoring as many goals as the games he could have played this season. It is worth noting though that Suarez failed to score against the traditional top four teams in the first half of the season, scoring blanks against Manchester United, City, Chelsea and Arsenal. Liverpool will need this statistic to change in the second half of the season if they want to maintain their current league position.

Predicted Finish in July - 6th.
Predicted Finish now -  2nd, if Suarez's goal-to-game ratio remains high.

Best Signing? Considering some of Liverpool's best players this season have been at the club for a season or two now, Liverpool's best player from this summer should go down to Kolo Toure in my opinion. Whilst Simon Mignolet has played every game this season, I do not believe he is a top class goalkeeper, although he is of a good enough standard to help carry a team into the top four of the Premier League. Toure on the other hand had big shoes to fill in replacing the retired Jamie Carragher, and at the start of the season he looked undroppable, forming a good partnership with Daniel Agger. The back four at Liverpool has rotated a lot this season, but Toure has a part to play when suspensions or injuries come into play and based on his early season showings, he seems hungry to win another trophy in England before he departs the game.

Who should they sign? When Daniel Sturridge is fit again, it would be a safe assumption that Liverpool will line-up with a back three again to allow the team to have a packed midfield with two up front. Where they struggled in this formation, although I use the word 'struggle' loosely, is that they did not have a natural number 10 player. Raheem Sterling and Victor Moses were both asked to fulfil this role, although they were given permission to drift out wide. If there is to be another signing for Liverpool in January, filling that hole with quality is a necessity.

Final Verdict - Exceeding Expectations.

Manchester City:

Summer Signings - Fernandinho, Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic, Martin Demichelis.
Notable Players Left - Kolo Toure, Wayne Bridge, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez, Karim Rekik (loan), Maicon, Scott Sinclair (loan).
Managerial Change - Manuel Pellegrini for Roberto Mancini.
Pre-Season Hopes - To win the Premier League and to progress in the Champions League.
Are they on target? Yes, although not convincingly at times. At home, you would think Manchester City had already won the league. Victories by over four goals against Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham, as well as victories over Liverpool and Everton at the Etihad suggest a team that are unstoppable. Away from home, the story is different, with a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge showing that City can be caught on the road if their eyes aren't wide open. In Europe they have done well to progress from the group stage for the first time, but their last 16 draw is not kind against Barcelona. They look to be on target for the season, but this is a season where the favourites can still slip up.

Predicted Finish in July - 4th.
Predicted Finish now - 1st.
Predicted Champions League Finish in July - Quarter-Finals.
Predicted Champions League Finish now -  Last 16.

Best Signing? Alvaro Negredo has had the biggest influence on the pitch, although why Jesus Navas has not been more of a regular selection baffles me at times. Negredo has scored 14 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions, 8 of those goals being from 18 league appearances. Proving to be a presence in the box, whilst having a clever touch, Negredo has rightly earned the nickname 'Beast' at the Etihad this season.

Who should they sign? After recent years, I would hope they would not want to buy anyone this transfer window. If there is one type of player they are missing at present though, it is a left-footed attacking player, one in the mould of David Silva. With Silva's injuries and dip in form, cover and competition for him directly would only benefit their squad. Perhaps this would be a job for the summer though.

Final Verdict - On target.

Manchester United:

Summer Signings - Guillermo Varela, Marouane Fellaini.
Notable Players Left - Scott Wooton, Angelo Henriquez (loan), Nick Powell (loan).
Managerial Change - David Moyes for Sir Alex Ferguson.
Pre-Season Hopes - to win everything.
Are they on target? Despite an eight point deficit to make up in the league, Manchester United still cannot be counted out of the title race, at the very least in terms of influencing its outcome. As far as winning a cup, United have progressed in both the Capital One Cup and in the Champions League, with favourable draws against Sunderland and Olympiakos ahead. It is the following rounds though that will be the true test of their squads, with a possible match in the Capital One Cup Final against Manchester City to handle. Whilst Sunderland will prove tough opposition, David Moyes needs to win a trophy. The club will give Moyes time to create the club in his image, but the fans will start to have their doubts if the season ends trophyless.

Predicted Finish in July - 1st.
Predicted Finish now - 4th.
Predicted Champions League Finish in July - Semi-Final.
Predicted Champions League Finish now - Quarter-Final.

Best Signing? From a choice of Varela and Fellaini, the choice is literally between choosing porridge and cereal in the morning, neither is exciting! Purely because he has played for the club, Fellaini has been the best signing of the summer, although 'best' is definitely not the correct word!

Who should they sign? Although the papers love the idea of it, January is not the time for fantasy football. United's midfield is the reason they have fallen out of the title race, and although they have pulled their way back into contention, they need a similar spark to the one created by Mesut Ozil's signing at Arsenal to have any hope of clawing back their title. The best option for David Moyes, if not in January but in the summer, would be to go for players that have played for United in the past. The likes of Paul Pogba, Ravel Morrison and such has gone on and shown that perhaps they were unlucky to not be given a chance under Sir Alex. Moyes would have the selling point of offering them the chance that they never had before, in the best league in the world.

Final Verdict - Below Expectations, due to league form.

Newcastle United:

Summer Signings - Olivier Kemen, Loic Remy (loan).
Notable Players Left - Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, James Perch.
Pre-Season Hopes - A quiet season.
Are they on target? Considering the quiet the fans will have wanted was from Joe Kinnear, I think the supporters will be quite happy to be sitting 8th in the league at the half way point. Luck has played it's part at times this season, notably in their 5-1 win over Stoke where two dubious red cards gifted Newcastle a chance to be professional and garner three points. Their win at White Hart Lane not so long ago also came in a game where Tim Krul made the most saves of any goalkeeper this season in one game, so whilst Newcastle supporters will point to a fantastic goalkeeper, a neutral would say that luck plays a hand in a result like that. If they keep ticking over results, I can see their place in the top half being secure for the second half of the season.

Predicted Finish in July - 17th
Predicted Finish now - 8th.

Best Signing? Loic Remy was the only player they signed which has made an appearance this season. Whilst his goals have helped Newcastle up to their current standing of 8th, Yoann Gouffran has chipped in with a few more goals than was expected of him this season, and a settled midfield of Yohan Cabaye, Cheick Tiote and on occasion Vernon Anita has helped those in defence and attack work better together in tandem.

Who should they sign? They could do with extra competition up front, with Shola Ameobi preferred to Papiss Cisse for large parts of this season. If Dimitar Berbatov was to leave Fulham, Newcastle would be wise to enquire about his future plans as the Bulgarian would offer something different to Newcastle's current front-line options.

Final Verdict - Exceeding Expectations.

Norwich City:

Summer Signings - Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Javier Garrido, Nathan Redmond, Carlo Nash, Martin Olsson, Leroy Fer, Gary Hooper, Johan Elmander.
Notable Players Left - Chris Martin, Simeon Jackson, Lee Camp, Marc Tierney, Elliot Ward, Tom Adeyemi, Jed Steer, James Vaughan, Grant Holt, Andrew Surman (loan), Leon Barnett.
Pre-Season Hopes - strong top half of the table finish.
Are they on target? No. If there ambitions had just been to get to tenth place, then they would have a chance, but at the moment, their form is more likely to dip than to soar. At the half-way point they have 19 points, one point less than what most clubs accept as a New Year total. The reasons behind this seem to stem from the number of new players at the club, most of them brought in to start games, rather than sit on the bench. Ricky van Wolfswinkel started the season well with a goal in his first game, but never peaked after that, still having just that one goal to his name after playing nearly as many games as there are letters in his surname. Gary Hooper coming into the side has helped to halt a slide that seemed to be about to bring the end of Chris Hughton's reign in charge of the Canaries, but the team is still susceptible as you would not bet on them to win on any given weekend. With the players at their disposal, it is a case of being too good to go down, but next season they will have to allow these players to gel, or a change of manager will be the only solution.

Predicted Finish in July - 9th.
Predicted Finish now - 13th.

Best Signing? In a season where most players have struggled, Leroy Fer has shown a few glimpses of class to show why Everton were interested in the Dutchman only 12 months ago. For this reason, I choose him as Norwich's best signing as he is their best hope of unlocking van Wolfswinkel's potential, whilst supplying Hooper and Elmander with opportunities in the present.

Who should they sign? Ideally they will stay away from the buying part of the transfer market as to keep a settled squad. However, if they are to dip in, they should be looking for defensive reinforcements. In the summer, I pointed towards John Heitinga as a potential player they could look at, with his ability to play in defence and midfield a worthwhile asset. It could be that like Roberto Martinez, Chris Hughton does not fancy him as a player, but the defence is definitely the area in need of some cover at the right time.

Final Verdict - Below Expectations.

Southampton:

Summer Signings - Dejan Lovren, Victor Wanyama, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo.
Notable Players Left - Frazer Richardson, Danny Butterfield, Richard Chaplow, Steve De Ridder, Jason Puncheon (loan), Dean Hammond.
Pre-Season Target - To avoid Second-Season Syndrome.
Are they on target? Well on target. In my Pre-Season thoughts on Southampton, I was pointed out that Jay Rodriguez would have to score more to compensate for Rickie Lambert being a more well-known player in the Premier League this season. Whilst Lambert has amassed 6 goals in 18 league appearances this season, Rodriguez has gone on and bettered his teammate by scoring eight goals in, the same number of games, also going on to score two more goals than he did in 35 appearances last season. Whether that was enough reason for him to earn an England cap in November is debatable, but Rodriguez has certainly stepped up to the plate and helped Southampton not only avoid Second Season Syndrome, but also stabalise them in the top half of the league.

Predicted Finish in July - 14th.
Predicted Finish now - 9th.

Best Signing? In a coin flip between Dejan Lovren and Victor Wanyama, I think Lovren edges it ever so slightly. In recent weeks when Wanyama hasn't played, I feel that Southampton have suffered in their play and it is possible that this is the reason why they are dipping in form at the moment. However, Lovren has proved to be a leader at the back, key in their new pressing style under Mauricio Pochettino. When he or Fonte have been rested in the last few weeks, providing Jos Hooiveld with an opportunity, he has not grasped it with both hands. On the flip side, Jack Cork and Steven Davis have both proved able if not inspirational substitutes for Wanyama, so in this case, Lovren has been the more integral player for the Saints this season.

Who should they sign? Cover in goal could be worthwhile, with Paolo Gazzaniga not looking ready for the Premier League yet, whilst Kelvin Davis is arguably past his best now. A foreign loan move from abroad could be an option, perhaps Diego Alves from Valencia could be an option if he could be tempted away from Los Che  as he is an able deputy with some good years ahead of him still.

Final Verdict -  Above Expectations.

Stoke City:

Summer Signings - Erik Pieters, Marc Muniesa, Oussama Assaidi (loan), Marko Arnautovic, Stephen Ireland (loan).
Notable Players Left - Dean Whitehead, Matthew Upson, Rory Delap, Mamady Sidibe, Carlo Nash, Matthew Lund, Florent Cuvelier, Michael Kightly (loan), Cameron Jerome (loan).
Managerial Change - Mark Hughes for Tony Pulis.
Pre-Season Hopes - Enjoying our Football.
Are they on target? This is the hardest question of all the teams on this list because I don't know if a Stoke supporter could have enjoyed any match this season! Under Tony Pulis there had been a security net that we would never get relegated so every time we have lost this season there has been an element of nerves, whilst whenever we have won there has been a sigh of relief. All nineteen matches so far have shown elements of a team under construction rather than a finished article. What I had asked for in particular was a more ruthless streak from Mark Hughes than we saw under Pulis, trying to kill teams off rather than sitting back and taking a draw. In my post-match reviews of Stoke matches this season, this has been a bane of mine, where Hughes has introduced Palacios into play for the final ten minutes instead of throwing caution to the wind and giving Kenwyne Jones on for a quick blast at victory. Whilst we have a respectable points tally at this stage of 21 points, With two more victories we could have been in touching distance of Southampton in 9th instead of five points clear of the relegation spaces. To be on target for the rest of the season, I feel the management and the players need to release the shackles just a little bit more, especially at home when possible, and go for teams instead of letting them come onto us.

Predicted Finish in July - 8th.
Predicted Finish now - 10th.

Best Signing? A lot of the new signings have settled in well and had a run of games, but the most consistent of them has been Erik Pieters. This was shown in his absence against Hull City in early December where his introduction in place of Marc Muniesa changed the game, if not the result. Nods go towards all the new signings though who have had their moments throughout the first half of the campaign, although for the large part they all have an element of inconsistency that allowed Pieters to edge them out.

Who should they sign? A striker. Like most teams in the bottom half of the league, a striker can do no harm, certainly in Stoke's case. Mame Biram Diouf is still on the club's radar, whilst moves for Luuk de Jong and Adrian Ramos from German clubs have been mooted. If Stoke were willing to break the bank, a move for Jordan Rhodes could be worth a punt at this time of the season, with Blackburn's league position (12th) not helping their hand when trying to persuade him that the bright lights of the Premier League will come to Ewood Park soon. The fee, naturally, would be a problem, but if Stoke want a proven goalscorer, Rhodes looks capable of scoring at the highest level.

Final Verdict - Matching Expectations.

Sunderland:

Summer Signings - Cabral, Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge, David Moberg Karlsson, Vito Mannone, Jozy Altidore, El-Hadji Ba, Emanuele Giaccherini, Ondrej Celustka (loan), Charis Mavrias, Ki Sung-Yeung (loan), Andrea Dossena, Fabio Borini (loan).
Notable Players Left - Titus Bramble, Matthew Kilgallon, Ryan Noble, Simon Mignolet, Ahmed Elmohamady, Danny Graham (loan), Alfred N'Diaye (loan), James McClean, Stephane Sessegnon.
Managerial Change - Gustavo Poyet for Paolo di Canio.
Pre-Season Hopes - that the club does not self-destruct.
Are they on target?  The club has not self-destructed, but that was largely due to the early dismissal of di Canio. Whilst I still believe the sacking was harsh in general due to him not having had a lot of time to work with the players he had bought, in hindsight, if he had been given more time, Sunderland would be already relegated now. As things stand, they are on the verge of relegation, but that is not down to Poyet, but the purchases made under his predecessor. The squad has a starting eleven of players who could save Sunderland, but after that are a bunch of players that cannot be relied on. Against Cardiff recently, with Wes Brown and John O'Shea both unavailable, it was not surprising to see them ship two goals against Cardiff with Modibo Diakite and Valentin Roberge in the back four. If they survive, they will need to invest again in January, and ship out some of the mistakes from the summer.

Predicted Finish in July - 19th.
Predicted Finish now - 20th, although not due to Poyet's management.

Best Signing? Not an easy choice but I'd argue that Ki Sung-Yeung has been Sunderland's best player since Poyet arrived. It was a choice between him and Giaccherini, but the Italian's lack of input into a game meant that despite his work ethic in every game, he was not the best of the bunch di Canio brought in. Ki has proven in recent weeks that whilst a capable defensive midfielder, he has two good feet that he can use around the opposition box to good measure, creating and scoring chances to good effect.

Who should they sign? Here I stand by my earlier suggestion of Joleon Lescott to Sunderland. Defence is still an issue for Sunderland despite the return of Wes Brown. From a choice of four fit defenders, I would rather have O'Shea, Brown, Lescott and Cuellar, than having to include Diakite or Roberge in that list.

Final Verdict - on target, but likely to be heading down.

Swansea City:

Summer Signings - Jose Canas, Jordi Amat, Jonathan de Guzman (loan), Gregor Zabret, Alex Gogic, Alejandro Pozuelo, Jonjo Shelvey, Wilfried Bony, Jernade Meade, Dwight Tiendalli, Alvaro Vazquez (loan).
Notable Players Left - Mark Gower, Kyle Bartley (loan), Kemy Agustien, Luke Moore.
Pre-Season Hopes - A good Europa League run.
Are they on target? They have reached the last 32 of the Europa League, but at the cost of their league form which has seen them sit around 11th place more the majority of the season. Injuries to Michu and Wilfried Bony have prevented them forming a partnership regularly, but Michael Laudrup should have been prepared for a long slog of a season and injuries are just part and parcel of a campaign. Whilst Swansea do not look like losing games at the moment, they do not look like winning and are a safe bet for a draw in most games. With their next game in Europe coming against Napoli, Swansea may be out of the competition before they had really experienced the cream of the crop, but this may help their league cause if they continue to struggle to gain wins.

Predicted Finish in July - 11th.
Predicted Finish now - 12th.
Predicted European Finish in July - Round of 32.
Predicted European Finish now - Round of 32.

Best Signing? Wilfried Bony has provided Swansea with something new in attack but they have only seen it unleashed sparingly, unfortunately for Stoke when Bony had one of his good days! If partnered with Michu, they have the potential to have a lethal combination of finesse and power, but until the two play in tandem for a period of time, Swansea will have to make do with just Bony.

Who should they sign? Cover for Michu would be ideal and news of Iago Aspas arriving on loan from Liverpool would be interesting. Capable of playing as a number 9 or a number 10, Aspas could fill in the role that Michu has become accustomed to taking, whilst getting game time to show Liverpool that he is capable of making the grade at Anfield.

Final Verdict - on target, though unimpressive.

Tottenham Hotspur:

Summer Signings - Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen.
Notable Players Left - David Bentley, John Bostock, William Gallas, Steven Caulker, Clint Dempsey, Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore (loan), Scott Parker, Gareth Bale, Tom Carroll (loan), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (loan).
Managerial Change - Tim Sherwood for Andre Villas-Boas.
Pre-Season Hopes - A top four finish.
Are they on target? No, and despite being within touching distance, I still feel they have a mistake or two in them. Since Tim Sherwood took over, he has played with two strikers up front, with very offensive-minded midfielders in a two-man midfield. Whilst these players are talented enough to know to track back when under pressure, I feel against some teams they will be open to errors if this system continues to be the norm. For now, I cannot see them finishing in the top four, purely because I feel that sacking Andre Villas-Boas for Tim Sherwood was a knee-jerk reaction to bad losses and odd tactical decisions, rather than part of a larger plan for the benefit of the club.

Predicted Finish in July - 5th.
Predicted Finish now - 7th.
Predicted European Finish in July - Final.
Predicted European Finish now - Quarter-Finals.

Best Signing? Vlad Chiriches is the player that has surprised me most out of the summer signings as he has proven himself well against what the Premier League has to offer. Showing that he is an able deputy for either Michael Dawson or Jan Vertonghen, Chiriches has shone compared to the performances of his fellow new signings.

Who should they sign? Again, a club that has brought so many people in during the last window that perhaps buying is not their priority. Left-back cover could be worthwhile so that Kyle Naughton and Jan Vertonghen have to spend less time covering that area of the pitch, and across the city is a left-back by the name of Ryan Bertrand who is not getting any minutes at Chelsea. Perhaps a short-term loan deal could be on the cards so that Spurs have cover in that area until Sherwood can assess his squad in the summer?

Final Verdict - Below Expectations.

West Bromwich Albion:

Summer Signings - Nicolas Anelka, Goran Popov (loan), Diego Lugano, Matej Vydra (loan), Zoltan Gera, Scott Sinclair (loan), Morgan Amalfitano (loan), Lee Camp, Stephane Sessegnon, Victor Anichebe.
Notable Players Left - Marc Antoine-Fortune, Gonzalo Jara, Jerome Thomas, Peter Odemwingie.
Managerial Change - Steve Clarke sacked, no replacement at present.
Pre-Season Hopes - Maintaining the status quo.
Are they on target? No. This is the first season since they came back up to the top division that I have thought that they could feasibly go down. This is largely due to sacking Steve Clarke without having an immediate replacement in mind. When the club sacked Roberto di Matteo, the appointment of Roy Hodgson was made shortly after and the club stabalised under their new head coach. They have a good group of players, but their lack of goals is a concern, with their star signing of Nicolas Anelka only just scoring for the club, in London buses fashion. Matej Vydra, Victor Anichebe, Nicolas Anelka and Shane Long have only 7 goals between them, with less out-and-out options of Saido Berahino and Stephane Sessegnon notching 5 goals. If they are to get out of trouble, they need to start finding the net on a more frequent basis than they are at present.

Predicted Finish in July - 12th.
Predicted Finish now - 17th.

Best Signing? Although he has done little of note, the signing of Sessegnon from Sunderland was a coup considering he was their star player last season. Despite only attaining two league goals for West Brom since joining, he is a tricky customer and will be key to West Brom getting out of trouble.

Who should they sign? A consistent striker would be handy, but if that proves to be a hard acquisition considering West Brom's budget, then perhaps a loan from a top club could be helpful. Wilfried Zaha could provide a threat down the centre of West Brom's attack despite being thought of largely as a winger.

Final Verdict - Far below expectations.

West Ham United:

Summer Signings - Razvan Rat, Adrian, Andy Carroll, Danny Whitehead, Stewart Downing, Mladen Petric.
Notable Players Left - Gary O'Neill.
Pre-Season Hopes - Avoiding Second-Season Syndrome.
Are they on target? No. Sitting in 19th place in the Premier League, West Ham's problem is abundantly clear. A lack of goals. They put all their money in one big Andy Carroll sized basket and the bottom fell out, injuring him. Carlton Cole was summoned from the free-agent wilderness and although he has scored a few goals since his return, notably against Arsenal, the team still look like a Python without poison. Defensively they are struggling as well with injuries so at present they are struggling to keep clean sheets as well. Reinforcements needed in January.

Predicted Finish in July - 10th.
Predicted Finish now - 18th.

Best Signing? Razvan Rat has shown glimpses of quality, being able to cover the left-back area. He would get my pick over Adrian who has had mixed fortunes over the last few starts ahead of Jussi Jaaskelainen. Stewart Downing has under-performed since his arrival at Upton Park whilst Mladen Petric's spell at the club lasted barely half a season after being released this month.

Who should they sign? Rumours of a loan move for Asamoah Gyan are interesting, although I doubt they will end up with the player returning to England. If the club are looking abroad, it would be worth trying to tempt Bafetimbi Gomis to move to England, as he can fulfil the same role that Carroll was bought to perform.

Final Verdict - Under-performing, relegation bound unless signings change fortunes.

What are your thoughts on these predictions? Tweet to @jtflint2008 or comment below.