Window of Opportunity?

So 31 January 2008 is nigh and so nears the end a month of frenzied transfer activity. I for one have not been the biggest fan of the transfer window ever since its inception and I think that its introduction has only gone to strengthen the biggest teams in the country at the expense of those with less stature.

The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are able to spend heavily in the summer, building up their squads, knowing that their any major injuries or suspensions will be catered for and their will be no need to take any emergency action.

However, teams such as Bolton and Reading cannot compete in terms of spending power and so are unable to carry such huge squads on the off chance that they undergo such a crisis, which can prove extremely costly. An excellent example of this occurred a couple of years ago when Watford’s top striker, Marlon King, was injured a couple of games into the Premiership season and after the summer window had shut. As a result, Watford were unable to sign anyone to replace him and the rest is history, as they were relegated without a whimper.

Fans are deprived of months of transfer gossip and the palpable buzz that arrives when you are on the verge of a signing which could potentially change your team’s fortunes. Meanwhile, the media are forced to scratch around for other news to fill their column inches.

Transfer restrictions may also increase the chance of the “tapping up” of players, an issue that was brought to light during the Ashley Cole saga a couple of years ago.

The window is also impractical when players fall out of favour with the club they are contracted to. Footballers may not be playing but are not able to move on for many months and are so getting paid wages for effectively doing nothing, something which hits all clubs in the pockets, including the fans.

Clubs who fall into financial difficulty may also have their hands tied. A common solution would be to sell their most valuable assets for a quick cash injection, but now this cannot happen. In some extreme cases, clubs may not field their best players in case they get injured before the transfer window, thus damaging the team’s chances of pulling through the financial crisis. This will only serve to punish the team on the pitch and the supporters who pay to watch them.

Could you imagine if you only had one month to get rid of your current girlfriend and find another one? Or if you decided to leave your job but were told that you could only do so after another six months? You would be irrative, your motivation would dip and you wouldn’t be at your most productive. And also consider if you had only one month to find the job you really want. It would hardly be ideal to say the least.

Window of opportunity? I don’t think so.

Sunil