Madness of the transfer window can force bad decisions
TRANSFER deadline day, with all its hype, drama and nonsense looms once again.
Like it or not, Premier League clubs have signed up for an event which has become part of the football calendar as much as the FA Cup Final.
They know this annual bunfight makes good television but the clubs are increasingly being held to ransom because of it.
It is too late to go back to the old system but, surely it would make more sense for clubs and players to make the big decisions on their futures weeks ago, not in the final hours of the window closing.
And amid all the piffle and twaddle and the yellow ties, there could be one transfer deal which will decide the outcome of the Premier League title race this season.
Chelsea will be hoping that Diego Costa no longer wants a transfer. If a player decides he wants to leave a club nowadays, he usually leaves — or gets an improved contract.
If Costa goes to China it leaves Chelsea looking for a £100million replacement. And they know they will not find one of those in the closing days of this transfer window.
Costa is one of the best players in the Premier League, let alone the best striker, and the division and the title race will be poorer without him.
He might be unhappy in London, and he might get a substantially better deal in China with some eyewatering figures being mentioned.
But surely Costa knows that from a footballing perspective he is taking a backward step and it is almost like semi-retirement. It just happens to be a potential £500,000-aweek retirement which would turn anyone’s head. But would he be happier in China?
I do not feel sorry for Chelsea. The only reason Costa moved to Stamford Bridge in the first place was for the money, not because he was a lifelong Chelsea fan or felt some sort of affinity towards the club.
The reality is that Chelsea themselves have unsettled players at other clubs in the past who they have wanted to sign.
And Roman Abramovich has the money, as he has shown in the past, to go out and buy a replacement. If he costs £100million, he will pay it.
Not that all his big money signings have been successes, as has been proven with Andrei Shevchenko and Fernando Torres.
Despite taking a tough stance against his star striker, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte would no doubt prefer to keep Costa.
He has made tweaks to his side in the absence of Costa already and played Willian, Eden Hazard and Pedro in the attacking three. It has worked well but it is not sustainable, particularly for the remaining big games. If Costa goes, they will need a replacement.
But they may not have enough time to find a striker, like Costa, who will win them the title.
Another player who looks to have played his final Premier League game is Dimitri Payet. And what a sorry state of affairs that is.
Payet is also unhappy in London, and his family have not settled. It is a blow to West Ham, because he was outstanding last season, but a move back to Marseille makes sense.
However, I have a problem with players downing tools to get what they want. There is a way to get a move, and that’s not it. I’d love to see West Ham win this stand-off, but I can’t that happening.
The last few days of the window could be critical for a couple of Ireland players too. And I hope they get what they wish for.
When I saw James McCarthy at the start of the season, he was playing at wing-back in the Everton midfield and he did not look happy. That role does not suit him and he knows it. He has been back in his more natural central position recently and he has been playing well, albeit mainly coming off the bench.
But last week, Ronald Koeman signed Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United for £15million and we have also seen the emergence of Tom Davies from the youth ranks, so it is going to be more difficult for McCarthy to get a game.
Koeman is also keeping faith with Gareth Barry but, at his age, and although he is still excellent on the ball, you would think McCarthy has more to offer, especially as Koeman likes his side to press opponents.
Once again it looks like Robbie Brady will be on the move, with a number of Premier League clubs interested in matching Norwich’s asking price.
He is still Premier League quality and if Norwich get the right offer, they will sell. They are just about out of the promotion race now, so players like Brady and Martin Olsson are being sold.
Sunderland appear to be leading the chase, and it would make a great deal of sense for David Moyes, who has Patrick van Aanholt as his first choice left-back at present.
It’s hard to say what is Brady’s best position, but he has been an effective stand-in at left-back under Martin O’Neill for Ireland, so he can fill in there. While he also has the ability to play as an attacking left midfielder or even as a Number 10, he has more discipline to his game than van Aanholt and could be a useful foil to his loose play on the Sunderland left.
Other teams are sure to be interested. With his expertise at set pieces, you can see Sam Allardyce at Crystal Palace definitely being interested, while Sean Dyche may want to team him up with Jeff Hendrick and Stephen Ward at Burnley.
These moves might not happen this month. Brady and McCarthy should be in no rush to move on but should take their time and make the right decision for themselves and their families.
When I left Everton for Wigan in 2006, I was reluctant to do so initially and I still think back and wonder if it was the right move.
I was in the Ireland camp when David Moyes called me and said he didn’t want me to leave Everton. But once they had accepted Wigan’s bid, I felt it was right to meet and talk to Paul Jewell, so I flew over to meet him. When he put it to me, I couldn’t turn down the offer and the contract, and the security.
But it was a mad rush, for everyone, and far from ideal. No club, no manager, no player should feel the need to make instant decisions because the transfer deadline day clock is ticking.
However, under such a mad system, that’s exactly what they will end up doing.