It's that time of year again when the days, hours and minutes are ticking until the transfer window, as the footballing saying goes, slams shut.
If the window had been firmly locked on day one of the season, that would have been fine by me. Once you get a couple of weeks in and things are still being drawn out; managers making last-minute panic buys to add to their squads after seeing them play a couple of games, then I think it's a bit much.
Berbatov: Unsettling factor?
It has certainly been an intriguing summer, though.
There has been some good movement; some good players have come into the Premier League and we haven't lost too many.
But this transfer window seems to have been dominated by two stories: could Manchester United keep Cristiano Ronaldo, and can they now sign Dimitar Berbatov?
Good old days?
I still don't know if I'm a fan of the system.
If the Spurs players are blaming what's happening with Berbatov for their disappointing start then it's an excuse. The simple fact of the matter is that they've been poor.
Andy Gray
Quotes of the week
Chelsea v Tottenham
1pm, Sun, Sky Sports 1 & HD1
Aston Villa v Liverpool
3.30pm, Sun, Sky Sports 1 & HD1
I know it's been in for a while but I still think that teams should be allowed to buy and sell throughout the season. I don't think there's anything wrong with that if people want to strengthen when it suits them.
I didn't think there was anything wrong with the old way of doing things but it was brought in and we have to get on with it.
It's not likely to change back again either so we have to get used to it.
But it does put pressure on people to buy at a certain time and it inflates prices. The club selling a player knows that the buying club only has a certain time to come up with the dough or else the deal's off for another six months.
Panic stations
People talk about panic buying; well, you only have to look at a team like Everton who have struggled to get players in all summer and then they buy Louis Saha - subject to a medical of course - who hasn't been the fittest player in the world over the last few years!
David Moyes has had to stump up a lot of money for someone who's hardly kicked a ball for Manchester United in recent times.
So the window does create a situation where you might be panicked into buying a player to cover for someone who might have a bit of an injury worry or paying a lot of money for someone you wouldn't normally buy.
Precious gems
But it's not just about the top flight. The clubs in the lower tiers of English football often rely on finding a little gem of their own and selling him on to a Premier League or Championship club for money that keeps them in business and alleviates the strain on their finances.
On the other hand, they have to work on the basis that they're only going to get those windfalls once or twice a year - if they're lucky - so that's another negative of the transfer window.
I keep saying that I don't think there was anything wrong we the way it was but we have it and we're stuck with it. I don't thing tweaking it would help.
And since we have one I think a few months' window in the close season and then a month in January are as good times as you're going to get. You give people the summer to get players in and then if they want to tinker with their squads they have a month to do that in the New Year.
Stars and sagas
One of this season's new faces, Deco, has certainly impressed for Chelsea so far. They've always had that solid defence and toughness of play but the diminutive midfielder has given them that extra sprinkling of talent.
With Drogba still to come back, it's looking good for Chelsea; their movement, the ambition of the full-backs and the way they have kept the ball - particularly in the first 45 minutes against Portsmouth - bode well for the season ahead.
But it will be interesting to see how they respond to a bad result and it could be Sunday becuase if any team is due a result at Stamford Bridge, it's Tottenham.
If the Spurs players are blaming what's happening with Berbatov for their disappointing start then it's an excuse.
The simple fact of the matter is that they've been poor. They've not had the toughest start to the season - no disrespect to Middlesbrough and Sunderland - and yet they have lost both games and been very ordinary.
If they're not careful they'll be bottom of the league on no points on Sunday and the pressure will be right on.
They had a flying pre-season; they were scoring goals galore, Darren Bent showed the form that suggested life could go on at Tottenham without Berbatov, and everyone was predicting a wonderful season.
Blaming that pre-season falling flat on its face all of a sudden on Berbatov is nonsense.
But Tottenham do tend to cause their own problems half the time and they need to get their act together. They have a hugely talented squad but yet again, they start the season underachieving.
Captain fantatsic
After all the speculation surrounding Gareth Barry's future, Liverpool and the player have obviously decided that the deal isn't going to take place and that can only be good news for Aston Villa.
They can't afford to lose their best players - and Barry is one of those - if they have ambitions of breaking into the top four, and you never want to lose your captain.
The team are better for it, the dressing room will be better for it and I think that's shown in the way they've got off the marks very quickly. They had a little hiccup at Stoke but I thought they played better than the scoreline suggested.
Martin O'Neill's side have a tough game against Liverpool but without Steven Gerrard, and having watched them struggle against Standard Liege midweek, Villa are certainly capable of winning this one.
Robbie Keane's move to Anfield was another big transfer story of the summer window and I do think he is a fantastic player.
It is a worry when you're waiting for your first goal; no matter how confident you are, you do start to think about it when you're sitting at home and analysing your performance.
But I guarantee that once the first one goes in, they will start to come quickly for Robbie and for Liverpool.
Comments (49)
Vik Deen (Manchester United fan) says...
okay the transfer window can be frustrating but theirs no deny the entertainment value in it. i doubt skysports news has ever had greater viewing figure on any other evening throughout the season calendar. i'm a utd fan and so am obviously a little annoyed about the fact that berbatov cost us a little more than it shud have but at the end of the day both clubs profited. the transfer window if anything benifits the smaller clubs which is always useful. it means they can get better prices and in some cases such as that with gareth barry it means they can hold they players for another season/half season. could you imagine if these saga's were allowed to go on all year round. if smaller clubs could have there player touted/tap up all year round? they'd be living in fear in the knowledge that that player could move anytime during the season even if they were in a relegation battle .
Posted 19:52 5th September 2008
Mike Smith (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
I think the Berbatov thing was great. Spurs held on and Man City upped the price at the last minute. One in the eye for Fergie who thought he would get a last minute reduction by holding out. Brilliant stuff - Man City now my second team. The EPL is the only place to be now if you are an investor or a player. The next few years are going to be crazy.
Posted 05:33 4th September 2008
Ronan Kirwan (Manchester United fan) says...
I think the events of the last few days have illustrated the need for change in the transfer system.Spurs hanging on until the very last minute ,to try and grab as much money from manchester united.and ALEX FERGUSON whisking berbotov away to complete his medical.and making sure city did,nt get to him with a ridiculous offer.made for exciting tv and kept the hacks busy.But it was all very unedifying and cannot be good for the games image.And all this before the fuss in newcastle and Alan Curbishley resigning ,all to rushed and frantic,tempers fraying and nerves shredding ,surely there can be a more measured way of doing things. Its hard to believe there is only 3 matches played,my nerves wont take much more of this
Posted 00:27 4th September 2008
Anthony Babiolakis (Liverpool fan) says...
The transfer window has become a farce, with clubs selling players holding out until the last possible moment in order to get a bit more. The transfer window should be open the entire off season, with only one other purchase to be made at any time during the season. Loan players can be signed at any time during the season, but only as cover for injuries. Unfortunatley these days, money talks and loyalty walks.
Posted 10:48 3rd September 2008
Mosimanegape setlhake Setlhake (Arsenal fan) says...
i have no problem with Saha joining Everton, its the football of today nobodies are being bought at ridicuous prices,I beleive Mr Wenger's policy should be adopted by other coaches... With the whole Berba "thing," I hope he doesnt go and stays with Spurs- these players should be taught that in football there should be Respect and honor, honor to play for the club that feeds you (as contracted) and they should be prepared to honor their words as penned down in their contracts...... i dont think either of Berb, Ronaldo, Robinho e.t.c can say they didnt know of ManU Real or Chelsea when they signed at their respective clubs or maybe they didnt think they were good to be wanted by such teams, and so they agreed ply their trade their clubs till the 201?.----- i guess if players gonn sit with their representatives and accept offers with Buyout clause of 100millions then they should know that to rescind from such contracts they are liable to compesanting the injured party..... the window can now close and close see of who went where, who stayed where and wait to see the best buys and flops....on that note lets hope RKeane atleast comes half of his price tag-(he was bouhgt at thrice his price simply cuz LPool has the resources without bearing in mind if he will be resourceful)
Posted 08:28 31st August 2008
Nathan Griggs (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
I have to say I completley disagree witht the whole berbatov saga, if a player wants to leave then let him i say, we need a team/player who is 100% commited to the club and puts there heart and soul into every match and gets a sense of pride to be wearing our shirt, in my opinion thats why i think keane was the more valuable player too loose cos he was instrumental for us, and as for bent he only ever performs well in pre season(just like last pre season) he always fails to perform when it counts, maybe it was his ridiculous price tag we brought him for 16.5M! now im a spurs fan but when barca are buying the likes of henry for 16M...I mean come on is there really ANY comparisons?? finally levy needs to start caring more about the club and the fans rather than lining his pockets with cash, and before people disagree with that work out how much we have spent signing players compared to how much we have recieved for buying players...and for those who cant be bothered it works out we have spent bout 5M, modric needs to get stronger giovanni needs to get silkyer and as for bent he needs to become a striker! come on you lilly whites
Posted 04:06 31st August 2008
Levi Watson (Chelsea fan) says...
I Honestly think that Man United are just waiting for the Clearance of Pavlychenko's deal before they make any move for Berbatov. And i honestly think that Tottenham are pushing it further back so there is less time for United to sign him and hold back the possibilty of him not joining United. But i also think that Ramos, Poyet etc are not wanting Berbatov to stay in the premiership and definetly wont want him leaving a bad morale in the camp. I believe that Spurs are sending enquries to Barcelona, Madrid, Inter, Milan, Bayern to see if there interested In Berbatov so they wont have to face him again. Because face it, thye know how hard it is to handle Dimitar, and if they sell him to a foreign team there getting rid of him and also knowing that he wont play against him this season
Posted 23:45 30th August 2008
Panayiotis-dimitrios Paraskevopoulos (Arsenal fan) says...
I think that the transfer window is helping the players focus on their football and let me explain myself. If you could buy and sell whenever you wanted, the players wouldn't be able to concentrate on just playing the sport, they would be more pressured about what they are going to do off the pitch than on it , so i think that this creates between the transfer windows a tranquility that a footballer needs in order to work at a high level.
Posted 19:33 30th August 2008
Jon Treacle (Sunderland fan) says...
The problem with the transfer window is that the richest clubs will always have the power. They can pay the £30 million for a single player on the last day.What does it matter to Man Utd if they pay 15 25 or 30 million? Roy Keane has the backing of serious money (not Chelsea money unfortunately) but it shows how difficult it is to get players in even if you have big-ish money. A team needs to develop into the premiership to attract the players
Posted 19:23 30th August 2008
Kieron Burdett-johnstone (Manchester United fan) says...
I totally agree with the.."I know it's been in for a while but I still think that teams should be allowed to buy and sell throughout the season. I don't think there's anything wrong with that if people want to strengthen when it suits them." it would make things so much easier for managers and clubs, they wouldn't have to just buy for convenience. It also let's the team's get in new player's when they need them, instead of just buying a player for backup of the squad (incase they might be needed). Also it allow's club's to see how the team is progressing and if change is actually needed.
Posted 15:08 30th August 2008
Adam Ludlow (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
I do agree with most pundits opionins that the berba saga has affected the mindset of the players and coaching staff going into the new season. He is someone that the younger players will look up to and draw confidence from while playing with him. But he has made it clear he doesnt want to be at spurs he should be sold so the team can fully concentrate on football. I think it will take a few games to get the balance right but with the quality spurs now have it will click and the results will come, although a solid center midfielder is needed Tom Huddlestone has the chance to show how good he can be.
Posted 11:14 30th August 2008
Sharif Rehman (Arsenal fan) says...
I agree with the point made about the transfer window being open all the time therefore enabling the squad to be strengthened at any time! Or maybe I just agree because as an Arsenal fan, I know that Arsene Wenger will happily do more business if he was able to buy a player at any time as he has always been against paying inflated prices for players.
Posted 10:39 30th August 2008
Jon Baskeyfield (Stoke City fan) says...
Have to laugh at Andy's comments about money flowing down to lower leagues one or twice a year. The big boys in the Premier League pay no attention anymore to what going on below them, they look only to Europe/Africa for deals outside of the Premiership. Money no longer finds its way to the smaller clubs as part of the feeder system which is part of the reason why some very well thought of clubs in the past are wallowing in the bottom division and starting at -30 points. 3 years ago it could have been my team but fortunately we saw the return of a wealthy Uncle Peter with what appears to be a manager with principles. Whatever happens this year you can guarantee we will be a better team for it and financially better off than we were on August 16th and that makes me a happy fan in exile. Berbatov.................if I was a Spurs fan I'd tell him to take a running jump, he clearly no longer wants to wear the shirt.
Posted 08:01 30th August 2008
Alan Ball (Chelsea fan) says...
I 100% agree with Andy Gray on this. I think it's a ludicrous system & it should be changed back. Sure, there were limits to the old system like players being cup tied & that should stay but to say you can't buy a player for another 6 months is madness. It's like saying to a business you can only take on staff in the summer & in January! Does anyone know why this system came in, in the first place because i can't remember?
Posted 05:17 30th August 2008
Martin Kelly (Manchester United fan) says...
I think that there has always been panick buying and its been a lot worse than it is now.. I think the transfer window has been good to some of the lower teams. Its given them time to persuade players to maybe play football rather than sit on the bench at a higher club. these players are a few games into the season and know they won't get much first team action from what they have seen over the last few weeks so it helps them make the right choice ( even though a few still just want the money ) And it shows the manager which players are only there for the money too... Also , as a man utd fan, I think alex should buy a striker as soon as possible.. benzema is my choice but probably not available..
Posted 23:57 29th August 2008
Robert Shaw (Everton fan) says...
Interesting comments coming from Andy concerning Saha. Does he not remember a certain "Blues" manager of yester-year taking a chance on an injury prone centre forward? Andy proved the doubters wrong then lets give Saha the chance to repeat the magic.
Posted 22:14 29th August 2008
Si Fearns (Everton fan) says...
I'm sure Moyesy has thought things through. If fit, little Louis is a superb striker, ideal as a "super-sub". As the signings so far all appear to be free, it's perfect to bulk-out our already good squad. Without all the injuries we had last year and our tiny squad, doubtless we could've pinched fourth or even got a round or two further in the UEFA cup. I have total faith in our man Moyes! Bring on Moutinho!!
Posted 19:05 29th August 2008
Blue4 Eva (Everton fan) says...
Personally Im convinced Moyes knows what he's doing, he's not the type of manager to buy somebody just for buyings sake, hence this summers transfer hesitation. Im not the biggest fan of the transfer window myself though, there never seemed to be a problem with the old way of doing things. As for Liverpool...roll on their usual December misery of realising United or Chelsea are 10+ points clear of them and the stand little chance of winning the league. haha!
Posted 18:54 29th August 2008
Calum Jones (Manchester City fan) says...
There's been some really strange movement in this transfer window, don't quite understand why Liverpool are chasing Riera, he was pretty useless at city. Also I know Deco is great player but lets see how well he's playing in the winter and the second half of the season. I reckon people should look out for Vincent Kompany, he looked fantastic against West Ham and I reckon he could be the bargain of the season. Great to have SWP back at city as well, with down the right and Petrov down the left, its going to be a fantastic season for us.
Posted 18:07 29th August 2008
Ross Wilkins (Chelsea fan) says...
I understand what A Gray is saying, but it works both ways, I think some fans like the transfere window. If you support a team and everyones after your fav player, but you want him to stay, and he dosent leave in the transfer window you know youve got that player for another 6 months. Alot can change in 6 months and the player might recindle thier lover for the club. Say Beba stays at spurs, he will have to knuckle down and start perfoming, which is what all spurs fans want really, if we didnt have the transfer season, they could wake up any day to see thier prize asset has moved to one of thier rivals!
Posted 16:55 29th August 2008
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