Is just one player going to be enough?

Remy speculation increases, but would he be enough? So I see Alan Pardew has been talking about transfers and has suggested we are "definitely" going to add one player to the squad.

It is unfortunately that time of year again. Mince Pies and transfer speculation as Christmas lurks around the corner, followed by a new year and then a new transfer window.

These days I hardly pay any notice to transfer speculation which some of you longer term readers may have cottoned on to. I used to get excited about them and show interest with every new player we were linked with by writing an article or two on each of them. Now though I just can't be arsed with them as, aside from maybe one or two exceptions, the transfer window tends to end in disappointment and anger.

So the point of this article then? Well I guess to get to the point we have to look at what Alan Pardew has been saying first and foremost.

“It is a difficult window, but I think we would like to get – definitely – one player in and not lose anybody. It could be that we lose a player, you never know,” Pardew told the Chronicle.

“Obviously I lost Andy Carroll in this window and in a situation that wasn’t too dissimilar to what I’m in now two years ago, maybe it was a bit better. But if that is the case then we need two players, and if we lose two then we need three.”

He added: “Myself, Mike and Derek all agree that we should have brought one more senior player in here. For whatever reason it didn’t happen. And we have learnt from that lesson, and that’s what comes from the luxury which is the security of the owner. The owner has great faith in my ability and I have to reward that with what I think when we make an error, and say we have made a mistake.”

Well first off I guess it's nice to see that they agree with the vast majority of fans who also thought it was a mistake not to strengthen further in the summer. It doesn't change anything now though...

What can change though is January, and the fairly staunch promise that our numbers will be swelled by one regardless. Will it happen? Won't it happen? I don't know but I could probably make an educated guess!

The strongest train of speculation seems to suggest a move for Loic Remy could be on the cards. He'd be a good signing no doubt providing he can settle, but if we are assuming he is the one player then is it enough?

There are areas of our team which need strengthening and up front is one of them, but it's the defence that I believe we should be looking to add to. Quite frankly it's been shocking and the players who play at the back who have shall we say, limitations, are causing a lot of our problems.

Like Danny Simpson and Mike Williamson for example. I've said many times that I don't think they are as bad as some make out and if you look at just defending then they are, at the very worst, decent players to have in the squad.

However a lot of this "long ball" thingybob that everyone seems to have latched on to has a lot to do with them pair. They just aren't comfortable on the ball so the only two options you get from them whilst they have possession is a hopeful kick up field or a pass back to Tim Krul who will do much the same.

Anyway I'm in danger of having a rantso I'll end it here...

Is adding just one player going to be enough? Is adding an attacker rather than a defender the right thing to do?