Is the Sam Allardyce bounce at West Brom up and running?
West Brom got their first win under Sam Allardyce on Saturday as they beat Black Country rivals Wolves 3-2. This got me asking if the Big Sam bounce is finally up and running? Sam Allardyce usually has a bounce effect when he walks into a new club and was struggling to have a similar impact at West Brom with three defeats from his opening five games. They weren't looking solid enough defensively which is what you expect from a Sam Allardyce side and you could see that in their heavy defeats to Leeds and Arsenal plus they weren't clinical at the other end of the pitch which you need to be in order to stay up. But with that first win under his belt, he'll be hoping for more results like the one he got at the weekend so he can get the team on a run of results in order to get them out of the relegation zone and keep them in the Premier League. That will depend on the kind of players in brings in during the January transfer window and if he gets the player she wants, the Big Sam bounce will hopefully be in full flow.
Is Nuno Espirito Santo under pressure?
Wolves winless run extended to six games at weekend as they lost 3-2 to struggling Black Country rivals West Brom. With them club 14th in the Premier League and on a bad run of form; Is manager Nuno Espirito Santo under pressure? Wolves have been a brilliant team to watch since they go promoted back in 2018 by playing good football which helped them secure back to back 7th place finishes. This season however has been tough for them as they lost two of their key players in Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota plus they lost their talisman and star striker Raul Jimenez to a very serious head injury. The Mexican's absence has effected Wolves massively because they're not scoring as many goals and they don't have a focal point at the top end of the pitch which is what Jimenez provides when he's on the pitch. They've tried to change the way they play by being a more possession based team instead of the counter attacking side we used to see plus they've changed between a back 3 and a back 4 which may be unsettling the side because they're more suited to play a back 3. They're not suited to a four and you can see that with in the manner they're conceding goals because they haven't been as solid as they usually when they play a back 3. This is how the manager is setting them up this season and if their poor run of form continues, the pressure could well be on Nuno Espirito Santo.
Do Burnley need to sign a striker in January
Burnley have scored 9 goals all season which is fewer than any other side in the Premier League this season including bottom side Sheffield United. After once again missing a lot of chances in their defeat to West Ham at the weekend; Do they need to sign a striker in January? The Clarets have some good strikers in their squad in Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes, Matej Vydra and Jay Rodriguez. But they only have 7 goals between them this season with top scorer Wood scoring 3 and Rodriguez not finding the back of the net once. With the quality of those strikers, they should be scoring more goals because they're all capable of doing it at this level and most of them are proven Premier League goal scorers. Chris Wood has hit double figures in each season he's spent at the club, Ashley Barnes has been an important player for them since they've been in the Premier League and Jay Rodriguez has proven himself at other clubs in West Brom and Southampton. With the quality and experience they all have at this level they should be scoring more goals because they're all good enough. But with a number of days left until the window closes, they may need to bring in a striker to help them score more goals.
Has Luke Shaw got his Man United career back on track?
Luke Shaw has had a tough time since he's been at United with injuries and a lack of form. But after a good performance against Liverpool at the weekend to keep up his good run of form; Has he got his United career back on track? When Shaw arrived at United from Southampton back in 2014, a lot was expected of him as he was one of the most promising young players in the country at the time with a big future ahead of him. But since his big move, he hasn't had things plain sailing because he's had a lot of injuries including a double leg break he suffered against PSV back in 2015 and he hasn't always been in his best form. He's appeared to put that behind him in recent games by being solid defensively and a real threat when he goes forward. He was both in United's goalless draw at Liverpool by keeping Mohamed Salah quiet whilst defending and getting balls into the box whenever he entered the Liverpool half. His recent performances could be down to the arrival of Alex Telles because a new signing in your position can urge you to up your game knowing that there is someone who could take your spot if you have a bad game. Shaw has reacted to the arrival of Telles by putting in good performances and if he keeps if up, he could find himself back in the England squad for the Euros in the summer.
How long does Steve Bruce have at Newcastle?
Newcastle are currently without a win in eight games and the fingers are beginning to point towards manager Steve Bruce and his tactics. So how long does he have at his boyhood club? One of the reasons behind Newcastle's poor form has been the style of play because they haven't started games on the front foot and they usually sit back and then hit the opposition on the counter when they win the ball back. That has drawn criticism from the fans and the media because they're not getting results by playing that way and the performances of the team haven't been good enough to earn a result. The strikers aren't getting enough service because the rest of the team are sat too far back which makes it difficult for the strikers to score goals with the rest of the team being closer to their own goal than they are to their striker(s). Newcastle were expected to kick on this season after a good transfer window in the summer and a 13th place finish last season when loads of people had them to go down. That clearly hasn't happened because the Magpies lie in 15th place and are showing no signs of improvement. If their form does not improve, they could find themselves in a relegation battle and Steve Bruce's dream job could turn into a nightmare job unless he turns things around.
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