So the deadline day came and went, and rather than my usual routine, I was stuck in Orlando, Florida ( I know, nightmare) trying to figure out who was going where and what some teams were really thinking. So this is my, as usual, half arsed attempt at summing up the transfer deadline.
OK also to set my scene a little, I am sat in the office of my good friend Lindsey in Minneapolis, Minnesota, using the desk of someone I believe quit today and listening to people chat about work related things such as "copy and paste" and "photocopiers", so forgive me if my tone seems a little distracted.
So the usual routine for a transfer deadline day is get your groove into the sofa, switch on Sky Sports News and be led by the great Jim White and the beautiful Georgie Thompson through the days twists and turns, rumours and done deals.
This routine wasn't afforded to me at this time, as I happened to be in Florida relaxing after a summer working in Vermont. Now although football (or soccer) is becoming more popular in these parts, its just the games that get the most attention, the whole transfer merry-go round is still a little lost on them, but they are getting there, slowly but surely.
So it was a day spent refreshing my internet page, waiting for the next name to pop up and hoping that the Boro may be able to pull off a coup.
So a good place to start would be the Boro, and the long and short of it is they did nothing, absolutely nowt. We sent Jonathon Franks on loan to Oxford United, which will be good for him to get a bit of experience in order for him to contribute later in the year. Also a plus side is we managed to keep hold of our brighter prospects, like Matthew Bates and Rhys Williams, for another 6 months at least. Also considering it was supposed to be a summer of change, the Boro have kept hold of key cogs to keep our season going well.
As for the rest of the league, I think there were some very baffling decisions made, but some that might pay off. So 10 million for Peter Crouch, well an excessive fee maybe, but a man who will fit the Stoke's style of play and is a somewhat proven goalscorer in the league. Scott Parker to Spurs could be a very shrewd move for Harry Redknapp's side, he was fantastic for West Ham last year, so he has deserved his step up, and will be happy to be in his home Landan town, whether he can produce the form of last season? Maybe not, but he will certainly be a boost.
Now to the baffling ones, Craig Bellamy to Liverpool? Really? Didn't they try that once? And he spent a year in the Championship. However, Bellamy can be a weapon, but its keeping his head involved, I know for a fact he was easily the most gifted footballer playing in the Championship last season. Also Meireles to Chelsea seems an odd one, he was good for around 6 months, and now Chelsea have splashed a shed load of money on him, thats one that remains to be seen. Also Joe Cole to Lille seems like a step backwards, I know that he will play Champions League, but you have got to question what playing in the French League and, if reports are to be believed, commuting from London everyday, will affect his game.
However what I wasn't expecting was Arsenal to come out fighting on deadline day. This is very unlike Wenger, but maybe the 8-2 defeat to United and the amounting pressure on his decision to sell Fabregas and Nasri, has given him the proverbial boot up the arse. So he beefed up and brought in Mertesacker, Arteta, and Benayoun. Not as good, possibly, as the men he let go, but certainly people who could contribute to the overall Arsenal philosophy, another one that remains to be seen.
So thats my look at the deadline day, I probably missed a ton but thats mostly because I was feeding off scraps myself. Next time I will be glued to the telly, no worries.
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