A window on the past

It’s not just me is it? But this transfer window seems exactly the same as every other transfer window in recent history. In fact we seem to be in exactly the same position as we were last season, outside the playoffs with fans questioning the future of our manager. Each window starts in the same way, full of hope and promise, those last few signings, those final pieces in the jigsaw and we could make a real push at promotion. After a few weeks though the signings don’t emerge, not unless you got overly excited about the permanent signing of Michael Tonge anyway.

Neil Warnock tells us that ‘Shaun Harvey is working hard behind the scenes’, I’m not quite sure what it is that Shaun Harvey does behind the scenes but very little of that time seems to be spent actually signing players. Echoes of Simon Grayson’s famous ‘Irons in the fire’ comments, irons that melted away, signings that never saw the light of day and something tells me it isn’t going to be any different this time. Then comes the unrest, the transfer request or the pimping out of our best player. Gradel, Howson, Snodgrass all lost in previous seasons, Becchio likely to depart this window, though perhaps at least not to Norwich.

It’s all so predictable, but this time it was supposed to be different. GFH were the saviours, Salem Patel and David Haigh ousting Bates and riding in with their Middle Eastern millions. But the hope is fading, fans loosing faith, those key signings to help us fight into the play offs nowhere to be seen. Alan Tate’s comments about our financial situation, probably sour grapes, don’t help to instil and optimism or confidence amongst the Leeds United faithful. So Mr Patel, Haigh and Harvey, you have three days left to make this transfer window different to all the others, let’s make them count.