With the permanent summer transfer window slamming shut at 5pm yesterday, West Bromwich Albion kept most of our wantaway players or kept those we wanted away – depending on your outlook on life.
With Sam Johnstone, Jonathan Bond, Kyle Bartley, Conor Townsend, Tosin Adarabioyp, Harvey Barnes and Dwight Gayle heading into the club, that was a pretty successful set of dealings and we know the deal for Yeovil fullback Tom James fell down at the last minute and a late move for James Tavernier didn’t come off.
In outgoing news we only lost Ben Foster, James McClean and youngster Ethan Ross – with Salomon Rondon heading out on a loan deal which still makes little sense to me. Gareth McAuley and Claudio Yacob left as their contracts expired and Jonny Evans headed out quickly as well.
We continue to have relegation release clauses for the likes of Nacer Chadli to consider and Craig Dawson. On that front, despite the permanent window closing, it’s irrelevant as deals can still be done abroad and absolutely nothing stops an English based club from coming in with a loan move that becomes a permanent move in January.
The window was largely a sham and pointless.
Speaking to wba.co.uk head coach Darren Moore expressed his delight at the window and large parts of that would be true, but he’s got to know we need a bit more in the loan market and we’ll still be looking for some departures – the rest of the month shouldn’t be quiet.
“We wanted to keep the lads together. The window is closed and they’re still in the building. That can only be a plus factor for us. It’s something we wanted to do at the football club from the outset. The important thing for us now is to let everything settle down and get some hard work in.”
Moore went on to admit that he planned on being busy in the loan market for the rest of the month to compliment the group further as we are still looking for our first win of the 2018/19 campaign, and for those who did have eyes on moves elsewhere, it’s about integrating them back into the group properly now – regardless of what happens over the next few weeks.
Poor window for me. Keeping players that don't want to be there
Still no creativity suspect defence and need another CF. Broken promises from Jenkins— S (@Nomisegg) August 10, 2018
Not depth In squad no creative midfielder we have been after long stretch in championship ahead
— lee jervis (@uklee1967) August 10, 2018
The core who got relegated sorry the club is being left behind
— Boulton (@Boulton2) August 10, 2018
RB asap.
— Andy (@baggieandy79) August 10, 2018
Ye he should be asking what happened to it
— Phil woodcock (@69Woody1) August 10, 2018
Central midfielders please!!!
— Gary J Gough (@jimmyhillish) August 10, 2018
With changes to the window this summer supposedly meaning managers could better plan their squad’s for the next six months, I imagine there will be plenty of faux uproar as if clubs’ didn’t see it coming when loan to buy deals get struck late August.
The only thing that has changed is we now have two days of utter madness for Sky to capitalise on.