We’ve diagnosed the problems, identified the targets and given our recommendations....now it’s your turn.
There’s nothing every football fans loves more than to speculate on where their team needs to strengthen, how much to spend and who to buy. Our team-by-team analysis of what needs to be done is the perfect chance for just that.
We have pinpointed the weak spots and given our suggestion for who should be the number one priority as well as a handful of alternatives.
Will Alex McLeish heed our advice? Have we missed a trick? Is our budget unrealistic? Who would YOU sign? Don’t be shy in letting us know by dropping us a comment at the foot of the page. Let the debate commence.....
Goalkeeper – Joe Hart (Manchester City): Maik Taylor’s certainly no mug and his experience of the top flight is hardly ten-a-penny but, at the age of 37, is he really still up to it? Shay Given’s knocked Hart off his perch at Eastlands and a year-long loan for a man rated so highly by so many is certainly not out of the question.
Alternatives: Boaz Myhill, Kaspar Schmeichel, Ali Al-Habsi
Centre Back – Mark Beevers (Sheffield Wednesday): Radhi Jaidi and Liam Ridgewell don't spell 'safe-as-houses' at the centre of the Birmingham defence, so McLeish might want to take a look at this lad. At 19 years of age Beevers has already attracted the interest of David Moyes, he is an England Under-19 international and was voted Wednesday's Player of the Season last year.
Alternatives: Souleymane Diawara (Bordeaux), Chris Riggott (Middlesbrough), David Wheater (Middlesbrough)
Midfield – Geovanni (Hull): Don’t let it be said that McLeish doesn’t like to take a punt….remember Mauro Zarate? Geovanni’s sparkled and shown himself up in almost equal measure this season but his topsy-turvy relationship with Phil Brown means he’s a gonner in the summer. For a team bereft of goals even in The Championship, an influx of invention is certainly needed.
Alternatives: Jay Spearing (Liverpool), Julio Arca (Middlesbrough), Jermaine Pennant (Liverpool) James Morrison (West Brom), Dietmar Hamann (Manchester City)
Striker – David Nugent (Portsmouth): Do not fear for your memory is not deceiving you….Nugent has scored for England. Admittedly, Steve McClaren is not the best of ‘experts’ to base our judgment on but Nugent really could be just the right move away from proving what all the fuss used to be about. He’s still got goals in him.
Alternatives: Matt Derbyshire (Blackburn), Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa), James Vaughan (Everton), Kris Boyd (Rangers), Jeremie Aliadiere (Middlesbrough)