The transfer window shuts in six days and it hasn't exactly been a lively one. When you look at the transfers that have happened you tend to see the word 'loan' next to a players name more than a figure. There is an increasing trend to also see the world 'undisclosed' but you are not seeing many of those this month either.
Why do I mention the dreaded transfer window though? Well, I mention it because we actually don't know if anything is going to happen or not. The manager has given us both answers and a new third one, that surprised a few, although it remains debatable as to exactly what it means.
The first answer was that he wasn't looking at bringing anyone in and then it changed to maybe looking at one or two. Then, to top it all off, it was suggested, not confirmed I'd like to add, that the manager might have to sell before he can buy.
Add to that, we've got The Clowns from the circus down the road publishing news on their website that they've as good as signed Craig Gardner, but it doesn't appear to have happened yet and I did love their line; 'the club he has supported since he was a boy' - rubbish clown propaganda.
But, with six days to go, I'd like to see a player come in and I think the reason Martin O'Neill hasn't allowed the deal for Gardner to go through is because he is waiting on filling the position first. You see, I think Martin O'Neill has a whiteboard in his office with names on and I think that he knows exactly how many players he wants on that whiteboard and if Gardner goes, he wants a replacement on the board first.
Player Prediction
So, my prediction for this transfer window is we will only bring in for what we let go.
You see, I've heard on a few occasions from different people that Martin O'Neill really does like Nathan Delfouneso and thinks he has all the attributes to make it in the Premier League, so while a few want a striker, a proven goal scorer, I don't think we are going to see a striker come in and with the speculation that Gardner is about to join The Clowns, my only conclusion is that O'Neill won't let him go until he has a replacement.
I'd like to be wrong. I'd like to think we were on the verge of bringing in that Robbie Keane type player, but I don;t think it is going to happen in January. I think it will happen in the summer though and I think we are going to have a busy summer.
So, the point of this post; well, there is nothing else today. There is Carling Cup ticket news from the club, but I'm not going to copy and paste when all you have to do is click here to get all the information you need and with the only other news that Harewood has hurt his foot and that Nottingham Forest are in discussions with the club over extending the load deal for Nick Shorey - I just wanted to make a prediction.
On that, I'm going to hit refresh on the club website to see if they have a surprise for us. I'd love one, but at the end of the day, if something was going to happen, we would have heard something by now, wouldn't we?