Take a breather. Relax. Sit back and try to decompress from what was one of the most ridiculous days of the year; transfer deadline day.
We laughed, we cried, we begged it to stop but Jim White continue to pretend to be on his phone as another ‘exclusive’ zoomed across our screens before we could even catch our collective breath. I, for one, am glad that this is all over until we have to do it again in January. And if it means I don’t have to look or listen to Jim White for that period of time than that makes me incredibly happy.
In the midst of all those rumours and reports of players leaving this or that ground, actual business did take place. And I am not talking about a nobody going somewhere on loan.
“Here’s Jim White with some amazing transfer news. Take it away, Jim.’
“Yes, that’s right, I just got off the phone with Leyton Orient’s official mascot and he provided me with this massive scoop: Faustino Asprilla is to join the Orient on a season long loan! Can you believe it? It has just been one of those days”
“Er, Jim, Asprilla retired years ago and is now studying astrology in a remote cabin the Peak District with no plans whatsoever to come out of retirement.”
Silence.
That is, literally, how transfer deadline day was on Sky Sports News. A truly mad spectacle. But which team came out best? Well, Arsenal certainly raised some eyebrows as they finally splashed the cash on Mesut Ozil. The former Real Madrid man is a fine talent and Wenger has put his money where his mouth is.
Everton, too, did a good job on deadline day as manager Roberto Martinez and chairman Bill Kenwright pulled off some very decent deals as the clock dwindled down to zero. Romelu Lakaku on loan? Very shrewd, indeed, and James McCarthy for £12m is a slick bit of business by the Toffees. The fact that they were able to flog Marouane Fellaini for lots more than he is actually worth to Manchester United was surely the cherry on top?
The irony with the Fellaini deal is that Moyes actually wrote the £23m release clause into his contract when he bought him from Standard Liege whilst he was at Everton. Brilliant, no?
Anyway, the dust has settled and let’s all just focus on football from now until January.