As 11pm approached last night, whilst many managers were rushing between various training grounds, stadiums and hotels frantically trying to broker a last minute deal, Mick McCarthy was probably tucked up in bed with his Horlicks and good book, well away from the chaos of 'Transfer Deadline Day'. It really is pure theatre, and Sky Sports News thrives on it. Jim White nearly has a coronary as yet another deal filters through, Brian Swanson delights in updating us on exactly how many millions have been spent so far by Premier League clubs and a selection of roving reporters are deployed to stand outside training grounds around the country and get mobbed by a bunch of nutters excitedly awaiting news of their club's new signing (or just wanting to get their face on TV).
Whilst this is undoubtedly great entertainment, I really was glad we weren't part of it, for it really is a mugs game. Waiting for a Wolves signing on deadline day is like waiting for a Christmas card in July, it just isn't going to arrive. But by the same analogy, I guess we’re still enjoying the easter eggs. Wolves completed the majority of their business early in the window and are already reaping the rewards. The captures of Jamie O'Hara, Dorus De Vries and in particular Roger Johnson for a combined total of £7.5 million should earn Jez Moxey a knighthood! When you look at Blackburn paying up to £8 million for Scott Dann, and QPR agreeing to pay Shaun Wright-Phillips 80k a week, it shows just how brilliant our transfer activity has been. We practically raped and pillaged the Brummies for Johnson - I still can’t believe we got him for just £4 million - and no doubt a lot of haggling was involved with Spurs in the £3.5 million deal for O'Hara.
Another smart bit of business sense was to shift no less than 17 players from the wage bill, although the majority have left on loan. Messrs Maierhofer and Halford have departed Molineux for good, adding a couple of million to the coffers, Keogh and Mouyokolo have been farmed out to Leeds and Sochaux respectively whilst youngsters such as Davis and Malone have been allowed the opportunity to play regular football lower down the leagues. It makes little business sense to have assets on your book who are proving nothing more than a drain on your resources, so Wolves have been quick to clear the decks.
Potentially the biggest success of the transfer window though was to hold on to the likes of Doyle, Jarvis and Hennessey. Both Jez and Mick had said all along that Wolves would be holding on to their best players, and true to their word, all the crown jewels are still firmly in place. It cannot be understated how important it was to keep the team together, and to make it clear Wolves are in no way a selling club. To have other clubs looking at our players is a mark of how well they have performed. We have the core of a good, solid Premier League team who did eventually achieve 40 points last season. This is already a good base to build from, regardless of any new signings.
Despite Wolves making noises that they had most likely concluded their business, the twitterverse was awash with all sorts of wonderful rumours, linking Wolves with the likes of Henri Lansbury, Mame Biram Diouf and Gary Hooper to name just three, none of which actually materialised. The club did confirm there was a possibility of a last minute loan deal, but weren’t really concerned when it didn’t come off. The biggest story on the back page of the E&S tonight is about Raul Meireles’ move to Chelsea, which tells you all you need to know about Wolves involvement on deadline day.
Overall, this transfer window hasn’t been the most dramatic but Wolves have still made good solid progress, hopefully a microcosm of the season ahead. It seems Wolves have now reached a milestone in their development. Mick has achieved the holy grail of having two quality players competing for every position. For the first time since we have been at this level, we have a good Premier League squad, with a consistent first choice eleven. To significantly improve on what we have would probably take money that Wolves do not have, or at least are not prepared to spend. It is only worth buying a player if he is going to improve the squad and has a chance of making the starting line-up. To this end, packing the squad with Halfords, Castillos and Surmans is not the way forward, which the club now seem to have realised. At the end of the day, you can still only name 25 in your squad, no matter how many players you buy.
Whilst some might grumble, I can only doff my cap to the 3 Ms and their ‘New Wolves’ revolution. We’re clearly going places, but doing it by the book. Money does not always equal success but prudent financial management does. Sustainability is the buzz word here; Wolves are building for the future. There is clear investment both on and off the pitch, but nothing that is going to come back to haunt us further down the line. There is a lot to be said for living within your means. For me, Jez Moxey in particular deserves a huge pat on the back for keeping the club on the straight and narrow through what have been difficult financial times. Those who question ambition, or expenditure for that matter, need only look at the plans to upgrade Molineux and the training ground, most likely heading over £100 million upon completion. On the pitch, Wolves have hardly sat in the background, spending upwards of £30 million since arriving in the Premier League two years ago.
The upshot of all this is that Wolves are embarking upon a campaign in their healthiest position for many, many years. There are plenty of reasons to believe that the class of 2011 can avoid another ‘Survival Sunday’ and maybe even challenge for the top ten, such is the optimism around Molineux at the moment. This season’s team already look a different animal to last season, funnily enough with Johnson and O’Hara right at the heart of the side having bedded in superbly. Wolves are in great shape and great form. I’m sure Mick McCarthy slept well last night. UTW!
