Well that`s it transfer window slammed shut for four months at least and all the frenzied activity of desperate clubs trying to bolster their desperate squads for the battles ahead comes to a halt, wild speculation ceases, well for a week or two anyway and its on with the important stuff of settling into the season and picking up points.
Down at the Latics it was a fairly quiet end to the transfer season with two leaving and no one coming in during the last week, Michael Brown left for Portsmouth for a fee believed to be around the £1 million mark and Ben Watson goes on a four month loan spell to Championship club QPR.
Although there were deals to bring people in none of these bore fruition, Carlo Costly couldn`t pass his medical or sort out his loyalty payments from his current club, no great loss there though, then there was the failed attempt to secure the signature of Celtic striker Scott McDonald, left too late in the day to have any realistic chance of going through and of course Ferrie Bodde was bid for at Swansea, again this failed and again no great loss.
So we have our squad, a bit light up front but on the whole not too bad, we are attempting to play a decent brand of football and given time the points will start to amass as Martinez gets his flowing football paying dividends.
The back four are solid and have the benefit of having played together for a couple of years now and there are permutations in there as well as decent cover with Bramble, Boyce, Scharner, Melchiot, Figueroa and Edman all capable defenders and able to play in more than one position across the back four, add to this Antonio Amaya and the foundations are there to build on.
Midfield is abundant with talent, out wide we have the pace skill and guile of Charles N`Zogbia and he’s already had a hand in the majority of our goals, add to this the potential shown by loanee Scott Sinclair and we look quite decent, plus there is also Jason Koumas who has made his best start to a season since signing with the club
Centre midfield we look to have uncovered another gem in Hendry Thomas, tough tackling he can pick a pass and has a great engine, this guy will be immense for the Latics, alongside him we have potentially a superstar in Momo Diame, his first game he showed great promise until he tired and in fairness he looks a couple of weeks off the pace fitness wise but his ability will shine through once he settles in and gets up to speed. There is also Paul Scharner who can step up when needed as he showed on Sunday at Everton.
Jordi Gomez has been brought in by Roberto and he can play out wide, in the centre or as he has been doing in the hole just off the main striker, he has shown in glimpses that he will be an excellent addition to the squad and was unlucky not to be on the score sheet against Villa, Wolves and Everton where he smacked a great effort against the foot of the post.
Up front we have the livewire that is Hugo Rodallega and though there is no doubting that he could have benefited from a quality addition to share the work load but Hugo will and always does give 100%.
He is sharp, pacey and has an eye for goal; he gives defenders a torrid time with his movement and with Gomez coming from deep he creates the space for the Spaniard to exploit.
There is much anticipation about from the Latics fans and not all of it is positive but one thing that as supporters we have to do is get behind the team, this is a transitional period, we are under new leadership and attempting to play proper football, so instead of blindly knocking lets start to encourage.
The window is now shut and the calmness and silence is deafening after all the bull of the past couple weeks, bring on the football for isn`t that what we all care about?
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