The Transfer Window Poser
In recent years, there has been nothing more compelling than sitting down on transfer deadline day in anticipation of your club bagging a late bargain – but this term most fans will be contemplating a lack of activity with most clubs refusal to be drawn into panic buying prevalent when compared to previous windows.
Aside from the lavish activity at Eastlands throughout this summer, the financial climate dictated that other clubs were more withdrawn when the clock neared 6 o’clock on Tuesday.
Whilst some have succeeded in the window, ask fans of Arsenal or Everton and they will tell you it has been a hindrance, forcing many to question whether it would be best to shut the transfer window at the start of August so that players can settle in before the season commences. The pros for having the window are obvious: when the window shuts there is little distraction throughout the season and players cannot try to engineer a move away or unsettle the ranks.
But more and more we see clubs playing hard ball with prices of players, inflating them in the hope a club will bow to their demands in a desperate bid to bolster their squad before they are stripped of the chance – until January at least. A failure to conclude business on the final day has become the norm due to toing and froing as agents try to get the best deal for their clients and manager’s frustrations continue to grow.
Roberto Martinez was highly critical of the window saying: “Nobody knows – it’s the nature of the transfer window. I think it’s ridiculous to be in the start of the campaign playing competitive games and the window isn’t even closed. We are allowing the players to be distracted and we’re not helping them in a business that’s really high pressure.
Before adding: “The players are not well looked after because of the rules of the transfer window.”
With this notion comes the flip side, Ian Holloway was desperate to add to his Blackpool side before the window closes and called it slams shut on him “a restriction of trade” and should Arsene Wenger have to wait until January to secure the services of a goalkeeper?
The likelihood of the calls for it to be scrapped will fall on deaf ears and without the window; it would be a tame affair and would not generate anywhere near as much excitement as it still does and although I have sympathy will Holloway’s need to add, the transfer window means that clubs can instead focus on football rather than whether their star striker is going to leave should it remain open. If clubs do not want to do business on the last day because they feel it is not right for the club then it is their choice. It does encourage panic buying but again if managers are lured by this it is nobody’s fault but their own if the players move does not work out.
It is my belief that the current system works and although it is not favourable for some clubs and it will continue to excite when clubs are less wary of the current financial predicament which has affected everyone: including football.
What are your views on the transfer window?
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It would be ok if everyone adhered to the rules. Tottenham got dispensation for missing the deadline Why? It stinks
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I agree, the dispensation was a little confusing as surely anyone could cite “technical problems” and be granted it
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The delay in approval has happened in the past and seems to have escaped the bitter Mackem.Why has he not commented before on Ashavin etc? Either he didn’t know it had happened and is shooting from lip or he’s opened his mouth and confirmed it rather than keeping quiet and letting us merely THINK he’s an idiot
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It makes sense that all transfers should be completed before the season starts. But in cases where there’s a major tournament in between such as the World Cup or Euro C’ships (ie. every other year), it simply leaves too little time to complete deals.
For the sake of practicality, the current system is a decent compromise.
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Fedup with thickos I suggest get some different mates but then again your one yourself
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the window is fine the way it is. some teams may think they are ok until they catch two drubbings to start the season and still have a week to find a savior. i mean the only alternative is to leave it open year around and that would take away the excitement and leave the door open for teams to be shattered by players trying to bale during a relegation battle and etc. i do think however that there should be no exceptions to the deadline. you have all summer to get a deal done you shouldnt be able to claim tech probs to get an extra day. i do think you should be able to loan players at anytime
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I don’t often agree with Mackems, but i have to admit George is right their is a deadline for a reason, if the Spuds fax broke down or whatever the problem was, the transfer should not be allowed, old sourface Rednapp even said he didn’t think it would go through as he knew the deal was done and submitted too late, apparently the signed paperwork was not sent back from Real Madrid until 18.22hrs WTF!!!
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Well, since we know that the deadline is flexible, the rest of us might wanna look at the holes we didnt get filled in our respektive team?… After all, there does seem to be a general problem with fax machines nowadays.
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The transfer windows should be dumped all they have done is inflated transfer fees and caused chaos.
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The window brings us in line with other European leagues who have had windows for years. However I would like to see the window close before the season starts – perhaps even 1 week before. You can recover from any stressful transfer sagas. As for Van Der Vaart, well – I hear conflicting reports – some say that it actually was on time. Even if it wasn’t submitted on time, what difference does an hour or so late make? It is just an arbitary cut-off point. The league is better off with the player than without him, so why would you want to be so strict?
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