So the transfer window is shut for another year. What will Sky Sports News do with themselves?
The main thing to say about Spurs’ business this transfer window is that there pretty much wasn’t any. Not even one measly signing. The whole thing was a huge non-event. After Harry Redknapp’s constant wheeling and dealing and last summer’s Bale funded binge it all felt a bit odd.
Of course there are advantages to doing nothing. For once the team will have a chance to settle. The players can get used to playing with each other, the manager can find his best XI. Everyone can concentrate on football.
There were some sales and loans. Defoe left, a great servant of the club who has played for Tottenham in two spells spanning most of the last decade. A big loss in terms of the history of the club but not in terms of the recent team; he has been on the fringes for a while now. He will be remembered as a great goalscorer but one who had his flaws.
The other big move was Lewis Holtby going on loan to Fulham. I like Holtby and was pleased this wasn’t a permanent deal. As a loan it seems to make a lot of sense. He wasn’t getting a game and he’s not the type of player who’s happy sitting on the bench collecting his paycheck. This way he gets regular football and a chance to stake his World Cup claim, Fulham get a temporary boost to help avoid relegation and we keep hold of a promising young player for the future.
We can treat it as an extended trial. We get to see how Lewis plays with a decent run in the Premier League. If he does well we can bring him back into the squad in the summer. If not we’ll almost certainly get more than we paid for him.
As the minutes ticked down on deadline day rumours flew around on Twitter – it was invented for days such as this. The tantalising possibility of a return to the Lane for Berbatov was dangled in front of us, then cruelly ripped away – he ended up at Monaco. There was a brief flurry of disbelief as rumours circulated that Livermore would be recalled from his loan. That didn’t happen either.
Looking at our squad we could probably have done with some cover at left back. Rose is young and inexperienced, the backup even more so. Maybe a striker to replace Defoe? Nothing came of it.
So a different sort of transfer window. At first sight a disappointment. On further consideration a nice change.
Anything But Penalties 