Now the dust has settled and we’ve all had a sleep, the events of Deadline Day can be processed. Twice every year Sky Sports go into a yellow frenzy as we fans wear out our thumbs and keyboards with overuse of the refresh button just to check our clubs’ latest nuggets of transfer information.
So who had a good day, and who had a day they’d rather forget? We’ve assessed the stats, opinions and put on our football thinking caps at FFC Towers, and here’s who and what rocked our Transfer Deadline Day…
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CLICK ON DANNY WELBECK TO REVEAL THE WINNERS & LOSERS
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WINNER – The money men
With Champions League money massive and the Premier League’s TV revenue having once again received a big boost, a vast spend across the board was expected. True to form, the English top tier’s sides did not disappoint, as the 20 combined to blow records out of the water and keep those in charge of swapping the cash around in work.
With the last minute deals included, the Premier League’s spend rocketed to around £850m (over $1 billion), with the figures carrying across the board. Whatever the weather, the sums exchanging hands were monumental, and firmly established the division as Europe’s prime spot for chequebook waving.
LOSER – Sky Sports’ Alan Irwin
Spending your night outside of Everton’s Finch Farm training ground is never really going to be majorly enjoyable, but Mr Irwin had an even worse experience than expected as a rowdy fan attacked him… with a sex toy. The presenter remained admirably calm as the purple phallus stroked his right ear for a few seconds before the offending individual was escorted away. How can fans up the ante next year? Not sure we want to know! Here’s a classic (which may have inspired the Toffee) from Norwich last year…
WINNER – Southampton
After the transfer window started badly for the Saints, deadline day, and the weeks before, was a success for the club. With a £30m profit overall, the South Coast club managed to replace a raft of their departed stars, hold onto Morgan Schneiderlin and set up a real ‘feel good’ factor after an impressive start to the season.
Arguably their best deadline day capture was Toby Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid, with the Belgian loanee rumoured to have overlooked interest from Arsenal to relocate to St Mary’s Stadium. Saphir Taider was also shipped out after just a month, which may avoid some disharmony after the Algerian failed to settle following his temporary switch from Inter Milan.
LOSER – Louis van Gaal’s tactics board
Let’s just hope LVG doesn’t pop a spirit level on his new tactics board. The signings of Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind look to have given United a weirdly lopsided team, with much of the focus now on the left flank and up top.
Don’t get us wrong, the Colombian and Dutchman are great buys, as was Angel di Maria, but it’s rather like, for want of a better phrase, rolling a turd in glitter, with Van Gaal’s side still crying out for an authoritative midfielder and a top class centre-back.
WINNER – Chelsea, Liverpool & Man City
While Manchester United and Arsenal were scrabbling around at the last minute to fill holes in their squad, bigwigs from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City were in front of the telly with a nice mug of cocoa.
The big trio had all got their business done early doors and were not forced into any late moves, which will do their managers no world of good as they focus on tactics over the course of the international break. While Liverpool and City spent big, Chelsea can take even more positives after making a profit. Yes, that’s right, A PROFIT. Things are changing at The Bridge.
LOSER – Harry Redknapp
Ol’ ‘Arry loves deadline day, but yesterday was one of mixed feelings for the baggy-faced gaffer. Niko Kranjcar (is he somehow related to Redknapp after following him again?) and Sandro arrived to beef up the Super Hoops’ midfield, but deals for Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe couldn’t be done. The Liverpool man wanted a staggering £90k-per-week (cue jokes about how much you would need to be paid to work at Loftus Road), while Defoe’s move back to England from Toronto was blocked by the MLS side.
WINNER – Javier Hernandez
If ever there was a player who needed a move, it was Javier Hernandez. The Mexican goal-getter burst onto the scene in 2010, but has since had to content himself with a bench role under various managers. But despite this, Real Madrid snapped up the penalty box predator, giving him a fresh chance at, arguably, the biggest club on the planet. Talk about landing on your feet. Well done, Javier. //www.youtube.com/embed/B9TTldk12fA?list=UUWV3obpZVGgJ3j9FVhEjF2Q
LOSER – Arsenal fans
Even with Arsene Wenger strolling the streets of Rome in what was a bit of a PR disaster for the Gunners, the club did get a deal over the line. However, it was one that annoyed a few Arsenal fans, as Danny Welbeck switched from Manchester United in a £16m deal. The England international is by no means a bad player, but for the same fee Mario Balotelli could now be at the Emirates Stadium, it’s underwhelming. To make matters even worse the fee funded, well part funded, United’s loan move for Radamel Falcao, who was the player many Gooners were crying out for…
WINNER – Swansea & Aston Villa
It’s not so much what Swansea and Villa managed to do, but what they avoided that makes them both winners. The pair entered the day with the slim chance of losing Wilfried Bony and Ron Vlaar respectively, but as we now look at their squads the striker and defender have been kept.
Bony was wanted by Liverpool and Tottenham after an impressive debut season in England, while Southampton (openly) and Manchester United (not so openly) chased ‘Concrete Ron’ following his World Cup heroics. Good work for the Welsh outfit and the Midlanders.
LOSER – Petr Cech
Big Petr may well have more splinters in his behind than first-team appearances to his name by January after a move away from Chelsea failed to materialise. The Czech stopper is now Thibaut Courtois’ backup man, which is a state of affairs unlikely to change anytime soon, given the youngster’s fine start to life at Stamford Bridge.
A move to PSG or Monaco in in 2015 may be on, but for now Cech will be hoping that Samuel Eto’o left those hot water bottles behind…