Jim White will not have been best pleased. It was a deadline day to disappoint, in the end, with last season’s big-money January moves perhaps causing caution amongst most clubs this time round. QPR led the way for major acquisitions, as Mark Hughes restructured his strike force, while David Moyes made a couple of significant moves which should keep many a Toffee happy…
Eyeing up the main movers in yesterday’s window, we assess their prospects over the second half of the season and look at the knock-on effects of each of their respective arrivals…
Nikica Jelavic
When you get to halfway through the season and your top scorer has 3 goals, it’s fair to say you need reinvestment up front. David Moyes has done just that, shelling out £6m on a player who has netted 48 goals in 81 league games over the past three seasons. Granted, Jelavic has yet to play in any of Europe’s elite leagues but his eye for goal will be a welcome boost for a Toffees side that have scored just 23 goals in 23 games thus far.
Standing at 6 foot 2, he’s the ideal target man for the wing delivery of Leighton Baines; the Everton left-back has created the fifth highest number of goalscoring opportunities this term but has picked up just a single assist, mainly down to inept finishing from others. Given Moyes’ frugal ways, it’s clear Jelavic hasn’t been brought to Goodison as a squad player and with Louis Saha moving on to Spurs, he’s likely to lead the line, with Tim Cahill tucked in behind in the usual 4-4-1-1. A price tag of 6.5 to 7.0 seems likely here.
Steven Pienaar
A loan move back to Goodison looks set to bolster his Fantasy prospects- not particularly difficult, considering he’s been afforded 17 minutes in the league this season at Spurs. An automatic pick under David Moyes last time round, Pienaar’s move to White Hart Lane has seen his game time plummet and he’ll no doubt relish the chance of linking up with Leighton Baines down the Toffees left flank once again.
Both player and manager know what they’re getting with this deal, with the South African returning to a system that allowed him to flourish on Merseyside. Given that Moyes’ faith in him was absolute in his previous spell, this could mean trouble for Fantasy owners of Royston Drenthe in the short-term. With Landon Donovan returning to LA Galaxy at the end of the month, though, Drenthe could perhaps offer an alternative on the right flank, vying with Seamus Coleman for a starting place in the first XI. Pienaar, at 7.0, looks a little pricey given Everton’s limited attacking threat , though Donovan’s impact has already shown that a return can prove beneficial.
Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora
The Frenchman has three season of Premier League experience under his belt, with a couple at Liverpool and a loan spell at Sunderland. Cisse arrives from Lazio, where, alongside Miroslav Klose, he’s helped propel the side to fourth in Serie A. He’s hardly been prolific, though; while Klose has netted 11 times, Cisse has scored just once, though he has provided more assists for the club this term than any other player.
Bobby Zamora’s move reunites the player with Hughes, having played under him at Fulham last season. With Hughes likely to opt for a 4-4-2, the delivery of Joey Barton and, possibly, Adel Taarabt, could prove key to the strike partnership’s prospects. Zamora’s role as target man, with Cisse providing the pace and guile alongside him, looks a canny move from the new manager and will significantly strengthen QPR’s front line.
Bad news, then, for the likes of Heidar Helguson, the club’s top scorer- a role as impact sub seems likely now, as Hughes attempts to handle the Icelandic international’s on-going groin problems. DJ Campbell, Jay Bothroyd and Federico Macheda will surely be peripheral figures, with Hughes opting instead for proven top-level performers.
Zamora’s price tag of 6.7 still seems reasonable, particularly in light of a strong upcoming schedule and the chance he will take over spot-kick duties, while Cisse should come in anywhere between 6.0 and 6.5, given the top-priced QPR forward was 5.5 at the start of the season.
Wayne Bridge
Martin O’Neill’s restructuring of the Sunderland first-team continued with the on-loan acquisition of Man City’s unwanted left-back. Bridge has yet to feature in the Premier League this season and, as a result, is yet to be added to Fantasy Premier League (FPL) but a price tag of 5.0 looks likely- Phil Bardsley came in at this price at the start of the season for the Black Cats.
Bridge’s arrival suggests Bardsley will continue at right-back, with John O’Shea utilised as a centre-half by O’Neill. It also puts question marks against Kieran Richardson’s role; the former United man has been used at left-back recently but with James McClean excelling on the left wing, Richardson may find it difficult nailing down a first-team place. O’Neill also brought in Sotirios Kyrgiakos on loan from Wolfsburg, with the former Liverpool man looking likely to provide cover at centre-half. Given that Wes Brown, Titus Bramble and Matthew Kilgallon are all struggling with injuries, Kyrgiakos’ arrival is understandable, though, at present, it’s doubtful as to whether he’ll establish himself as a first-team fixture.
Liam Ridgewell
West Brom have struggled at both end of the pitch this season- they are the second lowest scorers so far this season, with just 22 goals to their name, and have picked up just 4 clean sheets. With his strikers all struggling for both form and consistency of game time, Roy Hodgson has decided the best way to ensure survival is to further boost his defence.
Ridgewell’s arrival from Birmingham looks likely to put Gareth McAuley’s place in the Baggies first XI at risk, with Hodgson looking for top-level experience to see his side through the second half of the campaign. Ridgewell, who should come in around 4.5, also offers cover for Nicky Shorey at left-back but it seems more likely he’ll partner club vice-skipper Jonas Olsson at the heart of the back-four. With Olsson missing four of the last five league games due to a calf problem, Ridgewell’s arrival will afford Hodgson strength in depth at the back in the event of further injuries.
Pavel Pogrebnyak
With Bobby Zamora having left for pastures new, the capture of Pogrebnyak should prove vital for Fulham’s chances over the remainder of the season. Hardly a prolific scorer, the Russian offers the same target man attributes as Zamora but, as Martin Jol’s capture of Bryan Ruiz earlier this term showed, it can sometimes take time to settle.
Fulham fans will be hoping Pogrebnyak adapts far quicker than Ruiz, though his form at Stuttgart – a single goal in fourteen appearances- has been far from promising. The Cottagers’ home form offers plenty optimism, though; Zamora bagged 5 goals and 6 assists in front of his own fans, compared to a single assist on his travels. With Clint Dempsey flourishing in a role in the hole of late, Pogrebnyak looks set to lead the line, with Damian Duff and Ruiz offering service from the flanks. A price of around 6.0 seems likely here.
Marvin Sordell
As the season has unfolded, it’s been David N’Gog who has established himself as an automatic pick for Owen Coyle up front. While Ivan Klasnic and Kevin Davies offer a more laborious approach, N’Gog’s speed and movement tends to see opposition defence drop back and allows the Bolton midfield more room to prosper; ideal in a recent move to 4-5-1 which has brought victories over Everton and Liverpool in the last three gameweeks.
Sordell’s arrival from Watford will bring similar qualities to the Trotters’ squad. The former Hornet is renowned for his explosive pace and, with N’Gog returning just 2 goals and 3 assists this term, the new boy could find himself vying for a first-team place, should Coyle maintain his side’s recent shape. Certainly, the role of impact sub looks promising, with Sordell perhaps afforded an opportunity as opposition defences tire. Having grabbed 10 goals already this season, his eye for goal is obvious, though with no Premier League experience, a price tag of 5.0 seems realistic.
Trotters fans will also be looking for Ryo Miyaichi to mirror the performances of Jack Wilshere from a couple of seasons back. The Japanese midfielder arrives from Arsenal on loan and with Owen Coyle promising to provide him a platform to perform, the 4.9 priced midfielder has the potential to excel on the flank if Coyle affords him the game time. With Chris Eagles and Martin Petrov both flitting out the first XI from time to time, it’s clear Coyle is not completely convinced on his wingers’ ability to consistently produce, with Miyaichi perhaps in line to prosper. Similar to Sordell, though, a role of impact sub looks likely to begin with.
