The Consequences of Losing Transfer Deadline Day

I remember the heady days when Steve Bruce won Transfer Deadline Day. Quite what we won is another matter, but we can rejoice in winning it.

However, it is pretty clear the impact of losing Transfer Deadline Day.

I actually didn’t think we’d sell Bowen until the summer. The Allams had several previous windows where it was rumoured that they would sell him, but didn’t – and we had the option of a one year extension, which I assumed meant we’d at least keep him until the summer.

Jarrod Bowen.  Oh happyish times.

I don’t begrudge his sale, nor the sale of Kamil Grosicki. Both were rumoured to have wanted out, Bowen in particular deserves his chance at Premier League football, albeit quite possibly a handful of substitute appearances for 4 months only.

I’d like to think that their sale reduces the debt owed to the Allams, though they are being notably coy about the current asking price. And though I’m still content with the detente, any step towards reducing the debt and thereby hopefully taking us a step closer to an Allam-free future is not to be discounted – albeit the path is still long to that dreamed-of day.

Losing Transfer Deadline Day

Losing Transfer Deadline Day has also sealed our bad run of form. The 5-1 defeat at home to a very good Brentford side immediately after losing Transfer Deadline Day, was inferred to as being partly down to their departure.

Yet our form had been poor before then. We are notably lightweight in midfield – the lack of an Ashbee or a Brabin has seen us undone by the shithousery of Forest and Preston, to name two teams. We are pretty easily beaten by teams that are less interested in playing football.

Defensively, we struggle even more than offensively, though I’ll accept that we have been unlucky with injuries to our centre halfs.

The other half of losing Transfer Deadline Day (do I need a trademark symbol?) saw us make some worryingly lightweight signings, which are unlikely to negate our weak points.

The bright point is the signing of Marcus Maddison who has already shown his quality, and seems to be the kind of player who can win matches through moments of wonder. But why on loan? We’ve sold our best two players – surely we could afford some form of transfer fee for a player out of contract at the end of the season?

There is a however attached to him. Maddison seems rather mercurial and could easily piss us off through his antics – according to this rather interesting post, he missed pre-season to get a hair transplant. Rightio. Plus he likes a nightclub. I feel we may have interesting times ahead, should we keep him longer than for the initial loan period.

Lightweights?

All our other signings look rather lightweight. Well, most are loans except for Scott Jones – a forward signed from Motherwell who has scored 4 goals in 36 games, and Martin Samuelson – a forward signed from West Ham who has scored 8 goals in 78 games during a variety of loan spells.

I’m hardly filled with confidence. That said, Mallik Wilks has surprised me with 3 goals so far. I wasn’t expecting much from him either.

Where are the players that are going to stop us conceding so many goals? Where are the players that are going to break up the play? Where are the players with the experience of how to scrappily win games? Or how to win relegation battles?

We may of course have continued our poor run of form had we not sold Grosicki and Bowen. We may still have landed ourselves in a relegation battle even with them.

Yet it is clear that Hull City AFC are going one way, and that is to League One. It may not be this season but we are headed in that direction.

And losing Transfer Deadline Day was the final act in determining our fate.

One response to “The Consequences of Losing Transfer Deadline Day

  1. Yeah, we lost Transfer Deadline Day massively, a bit like the team, comprehensively beaten! Just when I thought maybe these panto villain owners have turned over a new leaf after all. Then bang! Our two best players gone in 48 hours. Hmm, that has a familiar ring about it, doesn’t it? Thought they would stay till summer but again, cant trust a word the owners say. Yes, who knows what our form would be like even with Turbo & Bowen. Our midfield, the constant changes, a massive injury list and that we don’t seem “street wise” like other teams, really have done for us this season. As for the new signings, as my son put it, “buy League 1 players and you become a League 1 team”. Given what Ehab has reportedly said recently, its not going to get any better soon either. Bring on the cricket for some relief from this despair!

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