For most of the season, Newcastle fans - and indeed the media - have called for Newcastle to add another striker and a centre-half to the mix of their squad. Both were intended targets at the end of the summer apparently, but time and slow progress got in the way, and it was thought the process would simply roll over into January. But now we're back to having four centre-halves with Paul Dummett making a surprising claim to one of the spots, and the strike-force has been buoyed by the emergence of Ayoze Perez. If we sign new players, Dummett and Ayoze might not get their chance to make those positions their own, and on recent performances, they deserve to. The Answer Yes. The injury situation is such at Newcastle that while the squad has cover in every position, it's never far away from a point where there's no available cover, which not only adds pressure on players not to get injured (taking away some commitment even unconsciously), but also takes away the pressure they feel from competition. In short, it's not good for the team on either account. There's definitely room for another striker - though Ayoze's progress might make it less pressing if he scores five or six between now and January - because Cisse will be off to Africa next year. And because the African Nations could take away Tiote, Abeid and Ameobi, midfield reinforcements are also a must. Plus, a centre-half to add competition and keep Mike Williamson as a backup is still definitely needed.
