If you can stomach the spending then second half of the season could be one to savour
MANY will echo the thoughts of Gillingham chairman Paul Scally that the amount spent in the January transfer window was disgusting.
It seems only yesterday that some Premier League clubs were furloughing staff, others saying they needed to join a Super League to stay profitable, most claiming they couldn’t help struggling EFL clubs because they were skint.
And then they collectively splash £295million in one month, which is the second highest January transfer window spend ever.
But, with stadiums full again and TV deals growing even more lucrative, it was always going to be the case.
Especially when Newcastle’s new Saudi wealth accounts for almost a third of that spending.
However, Scally is wrong to assume all fans of Premier League clubs will feel “uncomfortable” with the spending. Many will be excited at the juicy subplots the month has thrown up.
A league lacking sparkle due to Manchester City virtually wrapping up the title by Christmas has had an unexpected dollop of spice sprinkled on it.
Who was not moved by Christian Eriksen (below) signing for Brentford eight months after we feared he may have died on the pitch?
Or impressed with Steven Gerrard bringing football’s third most expensive player, Philippe Coutinho (below, right), back to England?
Newcastle fans will be ecstatic that their club has spent as much in one January as they did in the last 14 under Mike Ashley.
Envious outsiders will watch, with salivating mouths, to see if the new-found wealth has been wasted and Eddie
Howe takes them down. Antonio Conte may have cleared out some of Spurs’ deadwood and signed a pair from Juventus, but he will be bristling at losing out on Luis Diaz (above) and Adama Traore.
Talking of Diaz, he looks to have a bit of the Luis Suarez streetfighter about him, which could make Liverpool’s attempt to haul in Manchester City a bit tasty.
Although Pep Guardiola’s side look impregnable and quietly invested in a gem for the future, Julian Alvarez, one of South America’s hottest talents.
Mikel Arteta has made his position stronger by dumping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but his limp attack is even weaker and the natives could get restless.
However, the most fascinating storyline came from Everton, who were the main talking point on transfer deadline day for the first time since 2014 when a Sky reporter standing outside their training ground was attacked by a purple dildo.
A week ago, the club were on the brink of civil war when it emerged that unwanted Vitor Pereira was Farhad Moshiri’s choice to succeed sacked Rafa Benitez.
By Monday night, with Frank Lampard in charge and bringing in not just experienced backroom staff, but Donny van de Beek and
Dele Alli (below, centre), the mood had been utterly transformed.
The former Chelsea man has his work cut out to get Everton where they believe they should be, but there is a realisation among fans, after the toxic reaction to Benitez, that they have to unite behind a manager.
And, with no issues over Lampard’s connections or playing style and a feeling he needs success with Everton as badly as the fans do, he will be given full backing.
But the hard work starts now for Lampard, Dele and Van de Beek, all of whom need to live up to the hype. It’s the same with Eriksen, Coutinho, Diaz and Howe’s new men.
They’re all nice stories, but can they deliver the right punchlines? Nobody has a clue. Which is the essence of a game that, despite many disgusting aspects, rarely fails to enthrall.
Suddenly the second half of a ‘ very predictable’ season looks anything but.
If you can stomach the after-taste, get out the popcorn.