Sign of the times

Catherine Stewart

Monday was an important 24 hours in the world of football- Transfer Deadline Day.

Television, newspapers, radio and the internet were all full of rumours, deals and the latest who-has-been-seen-where updates.

The Guardian and BBC websites had minute by minute guides to the day's events and there was plenty of talk of how the heavy snow could lead to official deadline extensions, adding even more drama to the day.

Sky Sports News was on in our office so we could all monitor the comings and goings of our favourite teams, and our rivals too. They even had a deadline countdown and cut to a live feed of Big Ben to mark the last 15 seconds. It seemed somewhat over the top and anti-climatic at the same time.

The introduction of limited transfer periods has resulted in a great deal of interest on the last day of the window.

Much emphasis is placed on the number of transfers that have taken place and money spent. However, this often doesn't equate with league success (and as a Spurs fan, I am well aware of this). Manchester City's signing of Robinho on the last day of the summer window is a case in point.

Less faith is placed in young academy players- instead managers often pay over the odds for average players and demand that they provide a quick fix. The huge transfer fees merely result in huge pressure for players and managers.

Nevertheless, despite all the false dawns and 'transitional seasons', a couple of new high-profile signings (including my old favourite, Robbie Keane) and all my faith is restored. Well, almost!

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