Ian Holloway is back in the Premier League as he led Crystal Palace to play-off success in 2012-13. Next season will be the Eagles’ fifth season in the top tier of English football since the Premier League’s inception in 1992.
They were relegated straight back down to the Championship in their previous four appearances and the fans will be hoping that Holloway can guide them to safety next season. The transfer window is always vital to newly-promoted clubs and as Palace have now lost their key player Wilfried Zaha to Manchester United, it becomes even more important for them to not only replace the mercurial Englishman but strengthen their squad in every position. Let’s take a look at three players who would be great signings for The Eagles this summer.
Charlie Adam
Holloway should look to bring in Charlie Adam, who was very impressive for his Blackpool side that unfortunately got relegated on the final day of the 2010-11 season. Adam has had a torrid time at Stoke City this term after signing for the Potters from Liverpool last summer. He completed just six full games last season and had a shooting accuracy of just 32% from 41 shots. Sir Alex Ferguson once said that his corners were worth £10million alone but this season he has made the wrong headlines for his poor discipline. He was booked eight times and sent off once last season. His passing accuracy of 72% is poor for a central midfielder as Stoke over-used the long ball at times. If Palace were to purchase Adam, Holloway knows how to get the best out of the former Liverpool man and if he could re-kindle the form he showed two years ago, he would be a fantastic buy.
Andy Johnson
Palace should look to bring their former man Andy Johnson back to the club from Queens Park Rangers. Only Thierry Henry scored more than Johnson’s tally of 21 when Palace were last in the Premier League. However, he has out of action since last September due to an injury picked up in the draw against Chelsea so buying him would be a risk. In the three appearances he made this term, he did manage to have a 100% shooting accuracy which may sound impressive but he only had one shot. Johnson knows Selhurst Park well and the fans would definitely welcome him back if Holloway signed him. It would definitely be a shrewd piece of business if he were to return.
Scott Sinclair
Sinclair’s season at Manchester City, after moving to the Etihad from Swansea last summer, has been nothing short of a nightmare. Manuel Pellegrini will be looking to move him on and if he were to move to Palace, he would be a success. He would get regular games and seems like the perfect replacement for Wilfried Zaha. As City are desperate to sell him, he would not be too expensive either. However, his form will have to dramatically improve next season because in his 11 appearances in the league this season, he has only managed to make one chance for his team-mates. Sinclair had a shooting accuracy and duel success rate of a poor 25% and only 79% of his passes were completed. A move is a necessity for the winger and a move to the newly-promoted Eagles would help him get his career back on track.
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