Following the latest round of Premier League matches on Monday, Thomas Woods provides his thoughts on some of the biggest talking points.
Defoe is the answer — for several clubs
Chances are that Sunderland are going to be relegated this season. They have a poor defence, little strength in depth and are losing several players to the African Cup of Nations (Afcon).
They have flirted with relegation for several seasons now and nothing seems to change.
Their main glimmer of hope is Jermain Defoe, but the big question now is — can Sunderland hang on to him?
• Premier League round-up: Defoe draws Liverpool
Defoe is one of the Premier League’s greatest goalscorers. He is seventh in the all-time scoring list with 154 goals, ahead of Michael Owen.
The second half of last season showed his worth when his goals led Sunderland to safety. He barely needs a sight of goal to be able to score, which is what makes him such an asset.
But Sunderland’s problem is that everyone else knows how good Defoe is and several teams need a trusted goalscorer.
Sunderland’s owner Ellis Short has said there is little or no money to spend in the January transfer window. How much would a team need to bid to test Sunderland’s resolve to sell; £10 million (Dh45.1m)? £15 million?
Defoe is 34 but his goals (11 already this season) are still worth the investment for a team faced with relegation. The cost of going down is greater.
Rumours of a move in the transfer window will not go away and manager David Moyes has had to respond publicly to questions about Defoe’s future. Moyes is confident his striker will stay, but it is not necessarily in his control.
West Ham United, Defoe’s old club, for example, need a striker and several other clubs would surely step in if he was available.
All it takes is for a club to give Defoe reason to ponder, especially if a move home to London is on the cards, and how optimistic can he be about the future with a Sunderland side with little chance of investment and a history of struggling?
United’s depth will become a major asset
Is Manchester United’s squad good enough to achieve a top-four finish come the end of the season?
Cast your eye over the squads of the top six sides and it seems clear that United have the best strength in depth.
• Greg Lea: United win in match filled with officiating controversy
They have a quality replacement in every position and, while the likes of Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic start every game, manager Jose Mourinho is beginning to use his resources well, rotating the right players at the right time.
Just look at the usage of Anthony Martial. He has put in two impressive performances in recent weeks — in the League Cup against West Ham a few weeks ago and in the comeback win over Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Yet the French forward is not currently first choice for Mourinho, and did not play in the Premier League win at West Ham on Monday.
Arsenal are also well stocked unless Alexis Sanchez gets injured. Chelsea, meanwhile have a comparatively shallow squad, although Antonio Conte has barely needed it, given their lack of European commitments.
Tottenham Hotspur have defensive strength, but can’t afford to do without striker Harry Kane while Liverpool must be worried about losing Sadio Mane to Afcon if Philippe Coutinho is not fit to replace him.
And Pep Guardiola has an issue at Manchester City in that his backup players are not performing. It is clear he needs to start Sergio Aguero whenever he can but City’s squad does not look deep enough to compete in three competitions.
After a tough winter fixture list and with European football on the horizon once more, United’s options on the bench might be a deciding factor in helping them catch their rivals and therefore earn a Uefa Champions League place.
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