6) Tottenham: Find Proper Cover For Harry Kane
The young Englishman has been drawing comparisons to Teddy Sheringham, and has quietly been going about his business in making himself a mainstay leading the line for Tottenham this season. He seems to be a good old-fashioned centre forward; no nonsense, strong on the ball, and knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. In this regard I suppose one could also draw comparisons to a young Wayne Rooney. He hasn’t quite made it to that level yet, but if things keep going the way they are for Kane, he’ll be picking up the phone from Roy Hodgson for the next round of internationals. As it stands, though, Spurs need a revamp in the striking department. Roberto Soldado is far too inconsistent, and Emmanuel Adebayor, although prolific when in form, can be just as much of a gamble up front. Proper cover is needed in the way of securing the signature of a known goal scorer if Spurs are to gain any success this year; Kane can’t do it alone.
7) Southampton: A Replacement For Morgan Schneiderlin
He’s been one of the most consistent players in his position in recent years, making the holding role in midfield quite his own. The problem is that he seems to want to push for a move away from St. Mary’s, perhaps to the red half of North London, where, as aforementioned, he would be most welcomed. Still, that would leave Southampton, high flying this year in the Premier League, with work to do in replacing the Frenchman, who has been with the club since 2008. The lure of a big name is what seems to be taking Schneiderlin away from Southampton, but he might do well to re-examine where the Saints sit in the league at the present time, and what position ex-teammates such as Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana sit at the moment. The Saints are on the up and up, make no mistake; it is my opinion that it would be a mistake to leave at such an exciting time on the South coast.
8) Queens Park Rangers: Striker
As with Tottenham, QPR cannot rely solely on one striker to keep them up this year. Charlie Adam has been magnificent, there can be no denying that, but the best of clubs have two or even three players who know how to score a goal or two in the squad, ready to relieve the main man at a moment’s notice. The issue seems to be in drawing talent towards the club, so perhaps a loan move is best suited for any striker coming to Loftus Road in their quest for Premier League survival.
9) Burnley: The Return Of Sam Vokes
The link-up play that Vokes and Danny Ings had last season in the Championship division was devastating to teams all around them, so it was a massive blow to have had the former out for half of the season already. How he performs on his return to the starting line up (assuming that he can out-place Ashley Barnes at the moment) will be essential in determining their chances for survival this year. It’s not over; not by a long shot, but Burnley will need firepower if they are to remain a Premier League next season. Their issue is not with conceding goals; they defend for their lives and do it well (just look at the amount of draws they have accumulated); rather they need to have a striking partnership reminiscent of last season, and it is definitely possible with the return of Vokes to the squad.
10) West Brom: Avoid The Drop
Close to naming the replacement of Alan Irvine as former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis, the Baggies are now faced with the task of familiarizing themselves with a manager who has proven himself in the top flight. Pulis did a fantastic job at Stoke, overseeing their return to the Premier League and maintaining mid-table status until his eventual departure from the club in 2013. After a difficult spell with Crystal Palace, Pulis will now face a new task in avoiding the drop down to the Championship. They sit in 16th position, only four points off of the bottom and one off of the relegation zone. The bottom half of the table is tight, and with teams like Burnley and QPR experiencing a period of much better form of late, West Brom and Tony Pulis will have it all to do in the second half of the campaign.