I reckon Bruce will be looking at the rest of the transfer window in 3 phases: Phase 1. Continue to try to entice a player/continue to enquire, even though you're not hopeful anyone will be available to you (either too expensive, not interested in moving here or just plain not available). This phase will include: trying to persuade DJ Campbell that London "ain't all that, bruv", hoping Norwich buy one or two strikers and then scrambling on deadline day to try get Steve Morison signed, enquiring and baulking at what a Europa League side is willing to pay Becchio, seeing how 'cheap' Ebanks-Blake could be bought for and if it's worth it over other options, and also crossing his fingers whilst on the phone to Tony Pulis to see if he'll let him have Cameron Jerome on loan for the rest of the season... oh and ringing Martin O'Neill and asking him if he has managed to sign a right-back yet. Phase 2. It's getting late on deadline day, Bruce is still holding onto the faint hope that a deal from phase 1 will come through last minute, even though it looks very doubtful, is it now time to fax the Egyptians and tell them, OK, we'll have 'em! This phase includes: lots of nail-biting, toilet breaks, phone calls and faxing to Egypt. Phase 3. Bruce is still not sure on the Egyptians, 'can I get better in the emergency loan market? It's a gamble, but so are the Egyptians... do I take the risk?' he asks himself. Martin O'Neill is still looking on Wikipedia and Youtube videos of right-backs, even though it's an hour till the end of deadline day. Bruce ponders throwing some cash Sunderland's way to get Elmo back, even if it's a small fee for a loan till the end of the season... trying to get him back in the emergency loan window leaves him open to be able to join another club on an emergency loan deal (I think?), so is a bit of a risk.... but is the Egyptian bloke up to it? Bruce knows if he doesn't get Elmo back, or the Egyptian, he'll have to settle for Alan 'Mr.anger-management' Hutton on an emergency loan deal. This phase includes: Lots of pondering, hand Vs scalp situations, scouring the net for wigs or caps, and the number for a local builder to fix the hole in Bruce's office wall. Once he has calmed down, he starts his search for the emergency loan market.... starting optimistically with the likes of Cameron Jerome (again), Jay Bothroyd or Jamie Mackie ("c'mon throw us a bone 'Arry" says Bruce), John Guidetti (if he hasn't already gone out on loan... "we can get him up to fitness for you Mr. Mancini!") and Simeon Jackson.... till Bruce realises the emergency loan market isn't as easy as he thought it'd be and he has to choose from players completely out of either favour or fitness, with his options being: an unfit Tadanari Lee, an injury-prone un-fit Louis Saha, Sanchez Watt, Simon Church, Rob Hulse, Xisco, Marc Antoine-Fortune, Dani Pacheco or Nile Ranger, summing up what a bad move waiting till the emergency loan window really is, with having to take a punt on a youngster being a better option to keep you in the promotion race, the options being: Will Keane, Sammy Ameobi, Adam Campbell (third time Campbell lucky?), Samed Yesil, Saido Berahino (who had a good spell at Peterborough before injury), Callum McManaman and Nouha Dicko.... all of which may or may not score more than Aaron McLean. Please note: this is meant as tongue-in-cheek with a hint of realism, not a whinge or an 'Allam get your cash out-ism' before anyone starts having a moan.
Thanks. In all seriousness, even though it was tongue-in-cheek, it goes to show that there arent a lot of options available to us, especially not the ones we'd prefer from phase 1 anyway. So it means we need a bit if luck, if not it's either the Egyptians or an emergency loan from the group mentioned in phase 3. Not an ideal situation to be in, but if we find ourselves at phase 3, I think we'd still be best off bringing someone in, in the hope they just click with us, in a similar way to when Stephen Dobbie went to Blackpool... it does happen.
