The Sheffield United guide to the transfer window
May
End another season having not met our targets. Get the current manager, one player and Jim Phipps to go on record about how disappointed they are to have not met their targets and say how we will regroup, strengthen the side with some extra quality and go for automatic promotion next season.
June
Rumours begin to surface that one of our better performing players from last season is wanted by a team in the league above and a figure of between £1 - £2.5 million is quoted as being the priced needed to get him. The club deny they've had any contact 'for any of it's players.'
July
The retained list is announced and a couple of under performing journeymen are released. Somehow at least 1 under performing player remains under contract despite the reported length of contract being up.
Replace released players with a couple of free transfers of questionable quality. Jim continues to reassure fans on Twitter that everybody at the club is working very hard to bring in the right players to get the team ready for the promotion push.
August
First game of the season comes round and the player linked with the move to the team above starts the season in the side. Said player may be available for up to 3 games but will then be sold before the month is out. Jim will take to Twitter to reassure fans that the club 'did all they could' to keep the player but the player 'expressed a desire to leave' and that was that. Jim will say that the fee received will be 'reinvested into the develeopment and the functioning of the first team side' but that these things take time.
Transfer deadline day
We are told throughout August how difficult it is to get deals done, how it is a '3 party process' and that it can go right to the wire but all at the club are confident of bringing in the required players.
We are linked with good quality players up to deadline day. Time passes and things look increasingly less likely until the window 'slams shut' and we haven't replaced that player we sold. Some fans are quick to remind others that the loan window opens in a week so we will be able to bring players in then on loan with a view to a permanent transfer in January.
September
We are linked with players but nothing happens for the first 3 or 4 weeks. The manager is asked by Andy Giddings at each pre match press conference how close we are to making signings and the answer is always 'we are working on 1 or 2.'
As things roll on and nothing happens we are then reminded by some fans that there is no point in bringing the players in at the start of September because of the 93 day rule which would leave us short for 'the busy festive period.' All the while we have inconsistent form in the league and drop points at home and away.
October/November
Still no players signed, the league form improves slightly and we are told by the manager and Jim that we are happy so long as we are in the top 6 and close to the automatic promotion places and then we can add the bits of quality we need in January to see us over the line.
January
Nothing happens for the first 3 weeks. We are linked with some players who are doing well in the same division as us and are told that work is going on behind the scenes and that money is available.
Things heat up in the last week, as form suffers again the club decide it is time to act and money is spent on improving the squad. The players which come in are sometimes questionable but we can't deny that the board are backing the manager (although 4 months late.)
February-May
We continue to have inconsistent form in the league and our league position changes regularly until it becomes apparent that the top 2 has got away from us in April and we then end up finishing in 5th or 6th place. We will then go out of the play offs in the semi finals. If we manage to finish 3rd or 4th we will make the play off final, but the team will freeze on the big stage and lose.
Repeat.
