Earlier this week I wrote a piece reviewing the transfer window from an Arsenal fan’s perspective, which ended up being a lot longer than I intended it to. I was going to review the window as a whole, but having to split it in to two pieces has worked out well and made more sense. So, without further ado, the second half of my transfer window review… The Awards.
Best signing: Maybe this is my Arsenal bias showing, but I like to think I’m pretty objective, but I genuinely believe that Mesut Özil is the best signing this summer (covered here). In terms of value for money, who can say, but looking at the other Premier League transfers, it’s hard to argue.
Most envy-inspiring signing: I’m going to give this to Liverpool, and the transfer of Mamadou Sakho. I’ve highly rated him for years, and I really thought that we needed to strengthen the defence. I’ve spent the last few days telling all my Liverpool supporting friends they’ve got a real player in their hands there.
The Kevin Phillips Award for most typical signing by a promoted club: Goes to Crystal Palace for signing … Kevin Phillips! Phillips just seems like one of those guys that always joins a newly-promoted side for ‘one last year in the Premier League’. Not only did they sign Phillips, but Palace also signed Dwight Gayle, one of the most standard newly-promoted club signings you can think of: young striker who played one season in the Championship and scored a few goals. He also played for Stansted a few seasons ago, meaning every commentator covering a Palace game this season will say “This young man was playing in the ninth tier of English football just a few seasons ago; now he’s scoring in the Premier League”. Tidbit: no-one seems to know when he was born. Other players Crystal Palace signed: Stephen Dobbie, Cameron Jerome, Elliot Grandin, Adrian Mariappa and Cameron Jerome. They clearly think they’re staying up.
Best name for a new Premier League signing: Cardiff City’s Kevin Theophile-Catherine. They strengthen their case with the acquisition of Maximiliano Amondarain.
The Francis Jeffers Award for the club that Arsenal fans want to thank most for taking an awful striker off their hands: Crystal Palace are again successful for signing Marouane Chamakh. I was surprised we actually received some money for that guy.
Best all-around business: This is a close one between the two Merseyside, but Everton edge it for me. Signings James McCarthy to play alongside the burgeoning Ross Barkley should create a good midfield partnership, and, despite the fact that they are only on loan, Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu are very good players. Deulofeu is a Barcelona product who will only get better playing on a regular basis and Lukaku should become a 15-20 goals (if not more) a season striker. Liverpool did well to keep Luis Suarez, Simon Mignolet has played very well so far this season in goal, Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori are good defensive pieces and Victor Moses, on loan from Chelsea, should get game time and replicate his form from Wigan.
Most incomprehensible business: Chelsea, who surprisingly (to me), loaned Lukaku and Moses to Everton and Liverpool, respectively. I’ve spent all summer telling anyone who’d listen that Lukaku was going to be Jose Mourinho’s new Drogba, yet he hadn’t started a game for Chelsea before being loaned out, despite the fact that Fernando Torres only scores in Europe and Demba Ba can’t seem to buy a goal for Chelsea. They obviously weren’t expecting Liverpool to play as well as they have done either, and usually a top club only loan to a lower team. Strange business.
BIggest WTF: About halfway through deadline day, rumours starting coming out of Spain that Manchester Utd were negotiating a deal for Athletic Bilbao’s Ander Herrera. Not long after this, rumours then began circulating that the 3 Man Utd ‘representatives’ were in fact imposters. According to the club, they backed out of the deal because they didn’t want to match Bilbao’s fee. Both sides are rejecting the hoax claims, but the reports in the press would lead one to believe otherwise.
Worst manager/staff hire: Newcastle signed Joe Kinnear as director of football, for his apparent contacts throughout Europe. The only player he managed to sign was Loic Remy on loan from QPR. As usual, Newcastle fans were furious, seemingly their only emotion since Mike Ashley took over the club.
Most desperate signing: After a summer of disappointment, which flew under the radar a bit because of Arsenal not signing anyone, Manchester United finalised the transfer of Marouane Fellaini from Everton right at the deadline. Man Utd tried to sign multiple midfielders to improve their squad but failed with all bids. Fans were calling for a creative midfielder to come in to create chances for their front line; however, new manager David Moyes went to his old club and paid over the odds for Fellaini - a player he could have signed a month or so earlier for around £5million less. Fans, and neutrals, were also disappointed that Moyes was refusing to play Shinji Kagawa - the creative midfield type they were desperate for.
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