Let's Slam The Transfer Window Shut For Good

All that talk of sources, my understanding, snatched interviews in car parks, broom cupboards and hotel rooms with players either refusing to talk or talking in cliches about being over the moon, chairmen refusing to say much at all and managers smiling while they mislead everyone about what they are up to behind the scenes.

Oh no, I'm not a big fan of the transfer window and it is good to see several high profile figures, including Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn, call for the system to be scrapped this week.

I'm never really sure why it was created in the first place. Surely it is a restriction of trade. You don't say to a supermarket, right you can get your chickens in before the end of September, but I'm afraid you won't be able to buy anymore until January so it's tough if you run out.

And what about trying to tell a teacher or a stockbroker that they can't change jobs because there are specified windows for people to move in their employment? It would be thrown out by any legal system in Europe.

It was supposedly created with the idea it would prevent the big clubs from signing the best players from rival clubs whenever they wanted, but now they just hoard them instead.

The big clubs have the big squads and are therefore best protected against injuries and suspensions.

If they want a player they generally get them in the end anyway, normally distracting the player to such an extent that his form dips at his present club before he manages to get away in the summer.

When the window opens we get an explosion of speculation as agents do what they do best, agitate and unsettle, clubs upset each other by trying to do the same with agents help and everyone forgets about what happens on the pitch for a while and worries more about who is moving where, for how much and when.

I'd be quite happy to see a return to the old days when transfers went on gradually throughout the season and clubs were constantly able to freshen things up if they felt the need - or at least until the deadline in March has passed.

This system only really applies to the Premier League anyway. The Emergency loan clause allows clubs outside of the top flight to loan players whenever there is an, ahem, emergency. In other words when they decide the left-back is crap and they want a new one!

So what of Newcastle and Sunderland's business dealings? Well, Newcastle have been solid if unspectacular, but Chris Hughton appears to have filled the gaps in the squad with good Championship players.

You all know how I feel about this transfer policy. Newcastle can't afford Premier League players while they are not in the Premier League.

The only objective that matters is to win promotion this season and that is what Hughton has concentrated on, he has signed players to get Newcastle promoted.

If they go up, we can start to worry about whether the squad is good enough to stay up and don't forget, the likes of Danny Simpson, Wayne Routledge, Mike Williamson and Leon Best can always be sold on again in the summer if they are deemed not to be good enough to make the move up.

As for Sunderland, a little disappointing as Steve Bruce failed to land any of his top targets, but the arrival of Alan Hutton, Matthew Kilgallon and hopefully Benjani has bolstered the squad in key areas.

Bruce is a manager who is used to making the best of what he has got and it is his man management skills now, not his transfer strategy, which will define Sunderland's season. To be honest, that's always all the matters, we just seem to forget it for one mad month of the year.