The January transfer window often throws up feelings of insecurity for both players and fans.
You never can quite tell if someone will be at the club come the end of the window – and some clubs have a fair bit more uncertainty than others.
Sadly for Newcastle United fans, their club is one of those culprits and it seems that Papiss Cisse could be the latest player to wave goodbye to the Magpies going into a tough second half of the season where there is no doubting they need him the most.
The forward is currently away on international duty at the African Cup of Nations, but that does not mean he will be returning to the north east to do anything bar pack up his belongings, hop in the car and drive down the motorway to join his former manager Alan Pardew at Crystal Palace.
That would be a disaster for Newcastle and whoever takes the reigns from John Carver on a permanent basis.
Cisse is a goalscorer through and through and can both lead the line as the main man and come on with 20 minutes to go in order to change things up and offer the club something a little bit different in their quest to chase the points.
It is no shock that Pardew is eyeing him – goals are vital for any side, but for one trying to secure their status in the Premier League, they are like gold dust, and to bring in a player to provide them in the final stages of the season could make the difference between the Championship and the Premier League.
Cisse could and should opt out of any chance he has to make a move this winter – especially to Crystal Palace.
The only reason a player should leave a club in January is if they are not getting enough playing time or if a top, top side comes in for them – and that is certainly not the case where Cisse is concerned.
He would also need to consider the fact that Pardew dropped him towards the latter end of his time at St James Park and often played him out of position – something that does not exactly show the infinite trust and confidence of a manager – and not something you would want to make a move for.
It is in both Newcastle and Cisse’s best interests to carry on their marriage of comfortable convenience until at least the summer. A divorce now would not do the player or the Magpies any favours and given how much they have missed him already during his time at the ACON, that should be abundantly clear to at least one of the two.
Newcastle fans. How important is Cisse to you come the rest of the season? Let us know your thoughts below, become a guest blogger or tweet us @LaFootyettes.