Bowman remains with Exeter despite a frantic deadline day
FOR a selling club like Exeter City, transfer deadline day is often a time of hope for new arrivals and fingers are crossed that there is no late, unwanted drama in terms of player departures from St James Park.
This year was no different with fans safe in the knowledge that manager Matt Taylor was keen to bring in a striker - and perhaps one or two others - to bolster his squad for the remainder of the season.
However, things changed when news broke of interest in Ryan Bowman, initially from Burton Albion. Suddenly Shrewsbury Town were mentioned as well and as the clock ticked ever closer to the 11pm deadline, a fee was agreed for City’s main striker and Cheltenham Town were planning to hijack any deal with a League One club at the last minute.
There was no way he was going to leave, unless Exeter had a suitable replacement themselves, though. But in a market renowned for its frantic activity, there was ultimately very little movement at all. It was as though someone had forgotten to start the music for a game of musical chairs and with deadline gone, Bowman is still an Exeter player.
“Whatever interest came in for Ryan at the end of the window came in late, but we were trying to respond accordingly,” City boss Matt Taylor said. “The only way we would let Ryan go for a significant fee was if we had replacements ourselves and we were already trying to get bodies in for that position anyway to support Ryan, Ben (Seymour) and Fish (Alex Fisher.)
“The longer that went on and the more of your targets you were missing out on, the less likely it was for Ryan to leave and players to come in.
“It was so strange because you work through the month - and previous to the month as well in terms of your targets - and it always comes down to the end, certainly in terms of where other clubs move in terms of their bids, I suppose.
“For some reason, they bid at the end of the window as opposed to the start of it but, as a selling club, that doesn’t give you much time to replace players that are going out the door.
“If we are in for a player, we will try and do it as early as we possibly can because there is more chance of getting that player if the selling club have replacements in line, or players in the building already.
“It was certainly strange the way it happened so late. What that was down to, I do not know, but we responded as best we possibly could.”
Taylor made it clear that he was in for a striker with Gillingham’s John Akinde and Shrewsbury’s Jason Cummings two names linked with the Grecians. Akinde ultimately stayed put, while Cummins returned to Scotland and joined Dundee in a loan deal. But there are sure to have been others as well.
“We were working on various positions and there were a few players that we missed out on, but I do think this summer will be totally different,” Taylor added. “You can understand why players don’t want to uproot and move a long, long way away at this time of year and they don’t want to go out on loan when they have the security of a parent club.
“Also, when they can stay at a higher level to what we are. Despite them not getting game time or being in the managers’ thoughts right now, that can change so quickly. Football changes in an instant and we certainly found that out this window.
“I was here until gone 7pm and then my phone was by my side until 11pm. We were travelling the next day, so I had to get some sleep, but you don’t want it to come down to the last minute.
“You want things in place early but, as much as our targets were there, we were working to what other clubs were waiting on, so they were no different to ourselves!
“We also got to hold on to some of our good players as well, so we definitely have them until some point, which is likely to be the end of the season.”
Despite the disappointment of a move not materialising, and the emotional strain that can bring, Bowman showed impeccable professionalism as he led the line for Exeter the following night at Stevenage.
He’s had his knockers this season, something that is hard to fathom, but there is no doubt that City are a far better team with him in it. And the fact he has 96 appearances in two years at the club shows his importance, as well as his reliability.
“We had a chat with Ryan and he had to put the disappointment of his move not going through behind him and I thought he was outstanding on Tuesday night and led the line brilliantly,” Taylor said.
“That is the sort of character he is and I expect him to be the same. Let’s be honest, if he can double his tally and gets another ten, that’s 20 goals this season and he will be able to pick and choose where he’s going, not just have one or two clubs coming in for him late on.
“He will be in a better position if he keeps performing well from now until the end of the season and he is as hungry as ever to be successful.”