Bit Drafty!

So apparently the transfer window shut on Monday. No bang, no crash, barely even a whimper- quite frankly if Robbie “everywhere I go is my favourite club” Keane hadn’t headed north to his favourite club, Celtic, then the window wouldn’t even had made any headlines.

Obviously Manchester City were chasing more headlines, with late transfers seeming to be their favourite way to do it- maybe second behind Garry Cook’s outbursts of moron like behaviour. Having captured the signing of Patrick Vieira earlier in the window the Citizens returned to Italy for another central midfielder. This time they wanted Ronald McDonald from Parma, what? That’s not his name? Ok so it must have been Old McDonald they wanted? No? Unfortunately McDonald Mariga couldn’t get his work permit and ended up at Jose’s Inter. Of course it wasn’t unfortunate he didn’t sign because of his talent but more because of his headline writing name.

Once that target had disappeared City decided to try and grab the headlines with a transfer more of note for the player rather than his name. Enter Adam Johnson, a reported £7 million acquisition from Middlesbrough. Johnson is a highly rated English left winger who, should City not do a Chelsea, one day be a successful part of an England side- yes an exciting left winger!

Looking for excitement beyond City and perhaps Robbie’s 2nd temporary transfer in the last 18 months there wasn’t much to write home about. Portsmouth’s numerous outgoings and few loan incomings and the story of where Victor Moses might end up kept us with something else to concentrate on but the rest was all drab.

Of course Sky Sports News and BBC’s live text tried to keep us occupied but the very fact that the former didn’t have their usual man on 4 phones even in the office suggested the last day of the window would be one we’d be happy to see the end of. God knows the last few weeks have been full of coaches, managers, players and even agents moaning about how the window needs to go. But are they right?

The window was created to make it fairer to the lesser clubs, basically the Uniteds of the world couldn’t buy your player in November just because he was in great form and they were due to play you. To me though it doesn’t seem to make too much difference, the player will just be sold in the summer anyway. And surely the window helps more players leave on a free when their contract runs out. Currently if a player doesn’t want to leave in January or the club don’t get a good enough offer then he just sits around to leave on a free in July. Without a window there would be longer to get a deal done or if a player is being stubborn you can just freeze him out for a few more games till he gets fed up and accepts to leave in March- you may get less for him but it’s more than nothing.

Steve Bruce today flagged up what is perhaps the most agreeable argument; it is only a matter of time until a player takes action against the transfer window as a restraint of trade- basically stopping a player working. He took Benjani as an example, had his loan move from City to Sunderland (yawn) not gone through then it “restricts his career, it restricts his movement”. As we know these laws are the kind of thing that stops a cap on the amount of foreign players allowed and the now infamous Bosman ruling.

It is clearly time to get rid of this window. By now it’s only real function is to give us some drama twice a year. It is failing to do that now!

Time to change that window for some open patio doors. Otherwise it might be time for the Benjani ruling.

Nobody's Climbing Through This Window

BANG! Window shut my friends! And what a dramatic day it was, David James didn't go anywhere. Nicky Shorey didn't go anywhere. David Bentley didn't go anywhere. Frank Ribery didn't go anywhere. Martin Petrov didn't go anywhere. Mathew Upson didn't go anywhere. OK you get the picture, it wasn't very exciting at all, in fact one of the most exciting pieces of news was that Patrick Viera had 3 days off from Inter Milan and took a trip to London, but club wise, he didn't go anywhere.

So despite many a phone calls, and lots of dramatic music, by the boys, and ladies, at Sky Sports News, the end of that busiest of days that is transfer window day, finished with a whimper and no sight of a Robinho or Berbatovesque deal that we were treated to last season. We just spent the day praying for some Middle Eastern take over of say for example Burnley. Obviously with the window closing at 5 p.m we lost 7 hours of last minute transfers, although judging by today it's a good thing.

Anyway you're probably wondering when I'm going to get round to talking about each clubs transfers, well I'm not so ha! Instead I've put together my squad of transfers; the good, the bad, the downright odd. I've got my starting 11 and my subs.... So here goes; (team from right to left)

Joe Hart; Goalkeepers were hard to come by, and this is the reason you'll notice there isn't a goalkeeper on my subs bench. Hart has moved to Birmingham on loan to get first team football, and who can blame him. The superstars of Manchester City have Shay Given in between the sticks and sitting on the bench won't help the youngsters chances of making the World Cup squad.

Glen Johnson; This man's transfer cannot go unnoted. Finally allowed to make a real impact at a big 4 club several years after he was one of the first players involved in the Abramovich transfers. And at the beginning of what will be a long season Johnson already looks every bit the England player he has become. £17 million might seem a lot for a right back but come the end of the season his early impact may make a huge difference to Liverpool's season

Sol Campbell; At 34 the ex Spurs and Arsenal play would not have been the oldest football in top flight football by a long way. And as good old Harry said if he had been at any club other than Spurs he would have signed the ex England man. So if Harry would have, and as we're led to believe, many other Premiership managers wanted to sign Campbell, why did he end up at League 2 Notts County. Obviously because of Sven Goran Eriksson and his new role as Director of Football there but still this is a loony transfer for a man with 73 England caps and who would surely on an off chance still be looking to add to them.

Robert Huth; Down with Middelsborough last season and snapped back up to the Preniership with Stoke in August. Another ex Chelsea defender and one who, along with Sanil Tuncay's transfer from and to the same club as Huth, really showed the ambition that Tony Pulis and his Stoke side have. Not only in climbing the table but looking to add style with Tuncay, Pulis is looking up and only up, teams as high up as West Ham better look out the Potters are coming!

Joleon Lescott; The third most expensive defender ever? Yes that's right, Alessandro Nesta, Rio Ferdinand, Joleon Lescott- the quality gets lower as you go down that list I know but at £22 million pounds the ex Everton man's fee was ridiculous. Applause to David Moyes for wanting to hold onto him and for finally letting him go for enough money to rebuild his defence. And laughter to Mark Hughes for suggesting Lescott is the best defender in Britain- why the £40 million approach for John Terry I wonder.

Cristiano Ronaldo; What to say about this man. Will United miss him? Yes! Already shown it in the loss to Burnley. Now offence to Burnley but Ronaldo would have found something, someway to unlock the Burnley defence. Never mind the fact that Michael Carrick missed a penalty, United's former number 7 would not. Maybe it's not the selling of Ronaldo that has truly effected the United side maybe it's the true lack of a replacement.

Xabi Alonso; If Glen Johnson has added a lot of creativity to the Liverpool flank then the sale of Xabi Alonso to that small Spanish side in Madrid has taken almost all of their central creativity away. Sounds ridiculous with a team with Stevie G and Mr Torres but Gerrard drives the team forward rather than sprays the ball around from deep and 'El Nino' only creates in the final third. Alonso's replacement is untested in English football and currently still injured. Alberto Aquilani your new city needs you.

Fabian Delph; Stand up! Take your rapturous applause! Why? Because this man agreed to go to Aston Villa, and when Manchester City came to no doubt give him more money he still signed for Aston Villa. His old club Leeds United should also take a bow for doing the same. OK I know, me talking about City's money is getting boring. But I simply mean it's nice to see a youngster with some professionalism. More to the point young Mr Delph is English and may have ended up ruined at City. This happened back at Chelsea with Scott Parker, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Glen Johnson to name but three.

Damien Duff; Another player who went down with a North East side last season. Straight into the Europa League with Fulham. Duff has played for many years in the Premier League for clubs with differing fortunes, from a struggling Newcastle to a title winning Chelsea and a European battling/relegation fighting Blackburn side. Fulham will be better for his experience and silky smooth skill and Duff will be better for not being in the Championship.

Emmanuel Adebayor; Partially so City fans stop shouting at me for being anti-City but mainly because, as we've already seen, a happy Adebayor in the right surroundings is a goal scoring machine. Don't be surprised to see this man's name above the top of the top goal scorers chart, even with the African nations coming up. Furthermore his previous club, Arsenal, may end up missing him and end up outside the top 4, although on current form that's not likely.

Darren Bent; Last time young Darren moved clubs he was more expensive that Thierry Henry, this time round he's not caused such a stir which may well just suit him. Not only that but Bent will now be getting games on a regular basis, something not true at Spurs, and last time he got games was at Charlton where funnily enough he also got goals. Time for an England call?

Substitutes

Sebastien Bassong; When your main defender is injury prone to the highest degree it's a problem. When your top 3 central defenders are injury prone and out the first games of the season you've got a massive problem- enter Bassong!

John Terry; OK so he never went. But as one of the longest running transfer saga's I think he deserves a place on the bench. The England captain might also want to make a call to Mr Hughes to thank him for his new £8 million-a-year contract.

Teemu Tainio; Not a world beater but a steady midfielder. Tainio's inclusion doesn't come from the club he joined on loan Birmingham, but more that by leaving Sunderland temporarily, the club only have 6 recognised midfielders which could be a problem.

Stephen Hunt; Another season in the Championship would have been unfair on the Irish winger although he will need to play well to stop his new side, Hull, from relegation this season. Already a goalscorer this man can be dangerous.

Niko Kranjcar; Harry magic on the last day of the window. We may have been expecting more, like Martin Petrov, but this Croation midfield dynamo will have to do for Spurs but will be instrumental with Modric out for two months.

Michael Owen; It's still a little hard to believe the ex Liverpool man is at Manchester United. Had a slow start but so have the whole of his new team, when the Champions get into third gear and above the goals will come for Owen no doubt, but will Capello notice?

Jozy Altidore; Must be a nice feeling when you're the managers first choice signing, don't ask Jozy though. After Phil Brown was turned down by Michael Owen, Marc Antoine Fortune, Fraizer Campbell, Daryl Murphy and no doubt some others I've forgotten, he turned to the American youngster, those rejections could turn out to be the best piece of business for Phil.

Now for the exciting news! Sporting 1-5 South Manchester. We lost first up but we'll bounce back no doubt. It would sound like a mauling in real football but this is Sunday league and it was quite a tame score. The height advantage to them was a real factor as most of our goals were conceded at set pieces, fortunately we have some of our bigger players to come back so no need to worry just yet.

One final word this week, and it comes a week late maybe. Last week, in those scenes of utter hideousness at Upton Park as, and I refuse to call them football fans, the morons who follow West Ham United and Millwall ran onto the pitch, and attacked each other and the police outside the pitch causing havoc, one young man stood playing football like normal. But it wasn't like normal at all, Jack Collison played with more bravery than most of us could imagine to pluck up in the most serene of circumstances never mind in the cauldron of hate in that stadium that night. Sometimes in life football is insignificant but we can only tell by actually playing!