For the most part it was a relatively subdued end to a relatively subdued transfer window.
Arsenal only had one job to do but singularly failed to do it. To make the step up from title bridesmaid to title bride they needed a reliable, solid striker. But all they managed during January was a little light – and ultimately unsuccessful – flirting with Ollie Watkins.
Liverpool did absolutely nothing. But let’s be fair, they absolutely didn’t need to do anything. Chelsea traditionally spend around three billion pounds in every transfer window but held back, probably on the basis that their cunning financial fair play loophole has now been closed.
Tottenham Hotspur did a bit of interesting business on the final day by signing one of Europe’s most-wanted teenagers in Mathys Tel, whose arrival means they now have six fit first team players, three of them over the age of 12. Meanwhile Manchester City started their overdue rebuilding process, splashing out on four new players as they try to reverse the rot.
However, it was Manchester United who probably had the most intriguing of windows. They only managed to bring in a couple of lads when in reality they need about two dozen new faces.
Their outgoings are what really got people talking though. The illogically expensive Antony departed for Real Betis, ending a nightmare period for him and United. When the news he was off to Spain broke there was probably a queue of United fans outside Old Trafford offering to drive him there. Or carry him on their backs.
However, the biggest story of them all involved another United player – Marcus Rashford. Yes, we all knew he would be departing after a total relationship breakdown between the player and his manager.
Any Rashford revival will be broadcast in full glorious technicolour, week after week
But Aston Villa? I really didn’t see that coming.
Not because Villa aren’t a big club or a worthy destination for the lad, but because I honestly didn’t think United would allow him to move to another Premier League team.
I see it as a massive gamble.
Sure, if he turns up for training at Villa Park and shows no interest in getting his boots dirty, and then spends team meetings scrolling through TikTok, Ruben Amorim’s decision to get rid of him will be vindicated. But if he regains his form and starts smashing in the goals for his new club, then it is going to look like a disastrous misjudgement by Amorim.
And rather than taking place in some far-flung corner of the footballing world, it will all be happening on United’s doorstep. Any Rashford revival will be broadcast in full glorious technicolour, week after week, on Match of the Day and a billion social media accounts around England.
If Unai Emery can get Rashford back to his best – and that remains a massive ‘if’ – he will be a major asset for Villa, and it will look like Amorim let pride and prejudice get in the way of proper man-management.
And for a team like Manchester United, which is crying out for someone who can find the back of the net, that will cut very deep.
Boring Burnley bouncing back
Sometimes in football you have to be careful what you wish for.
Last season, defensive frailty was Burnley’s biggest problem as they let in 78 goals on their way to Premier League relegation.
This season, new manager Scott Parker has addressed that issue in a way that is so successful it is barely believable.
In their 31 Championship games so far, they have only conceded nine goals. That gives them not only the best defensive record in England (Leeds United are second on 19 goals conceded) but the best defensive record in the whole of Europe.
In many ways it is a staggering achievement, and they could easily be on course to beat the record for best defensive team in the history of football.
However, it is coming at a price. While their opponents are finding it hard to get the ball in their net, Burnley aren’t scoring many either. Just 37 so far.
And the fans are now starting to get frustrated with the defence-first approach, which is, as you would imagine, not exactly producing thrill-a-minute, edge-of-your seat football.
Opposition supporters have been singing about how boring Burnley are to watch. And recently the Burnley fans have started to join in, which is never a good sign for a manager.
Parker, to his credit, has acknowledged the situation and promised to try and find a better balance between attack and defence.
But if I were him, I would leave it be for now.
If he manages to bore his way to promotion, then so be it. The fans are very unlikely to complain if Scott gets them back to the top-flight where, let’s be honest, a season of not conceding tons of goals might come in handy.
Mistakes still happening
I’m not going on another VAR rant. I’m trying to limit myself to one a month, and I had a very satisfying one last time out.
However, the revelation last week that there have been 13 clear and obvious VAR errors in the Premier League so far this season can’t be ignored.
According to a league executive, up to now there have been four occasions when VAR incorrectly intervened and nine times when it should have got involved but did nothing.
Let’s not get into the specifics and merits of the individual cases. I’m not particularly bothered by those. Nor am I particularly bothered that 13 is a better failure rate than at the same stage last season when it was a whopping 20 errors.
What does bother me is that, on a base level, these figures are clear evidence that mistakes, potentially game-changing mistakes, are still being made in football matches.
With VAR being an imperfect system – and it was always going to be thus with humans involved – then clubs are still suffering on the end of bad officiating which in some cases cost them valuable points.
So, if it can never eliminate the errors in their entirety, how can the powers-that-be justify its existence?
It’s costing millions, its slowly down the game, and it is sucking away the sport’s most basic element of joy – celebrating goals.
If it isn’t fixing the problem it was designed to solve, why bother?
E-mail: James.calvert@timesofmalta.com
X: @maltablade