England

Matt Oldfield

January was a very important time in the Premier League but especially for relegation threatened clubs. It is a time to regroup and find form but it is also a time to buy and sell, with the transfer window open for the whole month. In 2006, Portsmouth bought their safety in January, while inactivity during this period has condemned many clubs to the drop. So, now that the window has closed, how successful were the English top flight’s bottom eight sides and how have their survival chances changed?


Safety Rankings

1. Sunderland

AIMS: Steve Bruce approached the January transfer window with his team in poor form, decidedly shaky in defence and uncertain in front of goal. The Black Cats were anxious to strengthen in key areas, while culling their large squad, and importantly retaining the services of off-the-boil striker Kenwyne Jones.

RESULT: Sunderland have done well to hold on to Jones, a key player when in form, who had interested Liverpool and Stoke City. Loan signing Benjani will provide much-needed support and competition for the Trinidadian and strike partner Darren Bent. Defensively, the signings of Alan Hutton and Matthew Kilgallon from Tottenham and Sheffield United respectively should be beneficial. The squad has also been trimmed, with Daryl Murphy and Colin Healy joining ex-manager Roy Keane at Ipswich, and Nyron Nosworthy joining Sheffield United.

VERDICT: A poor start to the year has put them in the danger area but superior quality and a good transfer window should see them rise above trouble.

2. Bolton Wanderers

AIMS: Like all relegation-threatened teams, the Trotters need to be tighter defensively and better in front of goal. New manager Owen Coyle’s priority in the transfer window was to add some quality and creativity to a workman-like midfield and attack.

RESULT: The loan signing of Arsenal prodigy Jack Wilshere could turn out to be the best of the transfer window. Alongside Manchester City youngster Vladimir Weiss, Wilshere will add a fresh new technical edge to Bolton’s simple, powerful style of play. American Stuart Holden will also strengthen the midfield but the defence still looks weak.

VERDICT: Bolton know all about relegation battles and winning dirty and with a run of games against bottom-half teams coming up, Coyle’s side should avoid the drop. Wilshere could be key.

3. West Ham United

AIMS: The Hammers had three big wishes this January: to keep their English core, find new owners and buy some strikers. All in all, a tough ask.

RESULT: West Ham fans David Gold and David Sullivan have taken over and Rob Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole are all still at Upton Park. Three new strikers may have been overkill but Mido’s £1,000 a week wages will hardly break the bank. The Egyptian and Brazilian Ilan are unknown quantities, but Benni McCarthy is a proven Premier League goalscorer. As manager Gianfranco Zola has pointed out, McCarthy and the now-recovered Carlton Cole should make a dangerous strike-force.

VERDICT: Things are looking up for West Ham and while they will still have to fight, their talented squad should secure safety. Another defender would have been useful but you really can’t have everything.

4. Wigan Athletic

AIMS: The Latics have never quite managed to distance themselves from the relegation battle this season, thanks to some shoddy defending and poor finishing. Support for star forward Hugo Rodallega was top priority but general squad-strengthening was also necessary.

RESULT: The capture of Crystal Palace’s highly rated attacker Victor Moses was a good piece of business for the club and promising Bolivian striker Marcelo Moreno should also lighten the load on the hugely-disappointing Jason Scotland. Gary Caldwell has been signed from Celtic to improve the defence but an own goal on his debut does not bode well. On the plus side, star left-back Maynor Figueroa has signed a new contract until 2012.

VERDICT: Wigan are too unpredictable to guarantee safety but there are worse sides below them and manager Roberto Martinez has been busy in the transfer window.

5. Hull City

AIMS: The Tigers have the worst defensive record in the Premier League and so strengthening at the back was of the utmost importance. Up front, Hull have failed to find a settled strike-force this season and so the transfer window offered the opportunity to add to their attacking options. In the wake of Wolves’ interest, however, keeping hold of star player Stephen Hunt became manager Phil Brown’s top priority.

RESULT: Importantly, Hunt remains a Hull player and the loan signing of former Wigan striker Amr Zaki could prove to be a good one. The Egyptian has a good record in the Premier League and will be a handful, on and off the pitch.

VERDICT: Hull’s relegation battle could well go down to the last game again. Zaki and Hunt will be the key men and if Jimmy Bullard can return in March, the Tigers might just pull this off again. The recent draw with Chelsea certainly gives them hope.

6. Burnley

AIMS: Despite a poor run of results, the Clarets can still survive this year. However, they had to make good use of the transfer window to strengthen their squad with additional options in defence, midfield and attack.

RESULT: New manager Brian Laws attacked the sale season with relish, adding five players. In defence, Danny Fox and Leon Cort are not big-name, experienced defenders but the proof is in the pudding. Chelsea midfielder Jack Cork could be an interesting addition, adding some creativity to a hard-working team. However, much depends on Burnley’s two on-loan strikers: David Nugent and in particular Frenchman Frederic Nimani.

VERDICT: Burnley have a real fight ahead of them but they seem to have approached it in the right way, improving their options all over the pitch.

7. Wolverhampton Wanderers

AIMS: Against all odds, Mick McCarthy’s side look like they could stay up but the January transfer window is a key pit-stop in the season to refuel. The joint lowest scorers in the league, a new striker was top of Wolves’ wish-list, along with some much-needed Premier League experience to help a young squad.

RESULT: Wolves failed to sign their only real transfer target Stephen Hunt on deadline day. In the wake of other transfer activity, McCarthy’s side now looks unprepared for the fight.

VERDICT: Wolverhampton Wanderers look to be heading back to the Championship, having failed to spend to succeed.

8. Portsmouth

AIMS: In a time of financial turmoil, the transfer window was more of a threat than a blessing for the South coast club. Top priority was paying wages and keeping key players at Fratton Park. Easier said than done.

RESULT: Pompey lost key defender Younes Kaboul and goalkeeper Asmir Begovic but managed to hold on to strikers Aruna Dindane and Frederic Piquionne. Money is still very much an issue for Portsmouth but the return of Jamie O’Hara on loan could be very important. Quincy Owusu-Abeye could be a useful addition in attack with his European experience but he is no guarantee of goals.

VERDICT: Pompey currently sit five points adrift at the bottom and with all of the off-the-field drama, it will be a miracle if they survive.

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