So I'd argue that the disappointment lies not so much with the fact that we missed out on James Vaughn today - although that's obviously disappointing, it's also understandable. Portsmouth are a better side than us, and (as of today) a bigger club.
It's with the fact that we've had a glaring need in our squad all month - with Obika injured, and Smith turning out to be ineffectual, we've come into January with only one fit, capable striker in Mackie. Which, it goes without saying, isn't enough. And I'm just not convinced (barring something surprising happening in the next couple of hours) we've done enough to remedy that.
Yes, Sinclair has a bunch of promise. But he doesn't have much experience, or much of a goalscoring track record and - as far as I can tell - has barely ever played alone up front.
If Mackie stays fit and in his current form for the next couple of months, then I think we'll wind up mid-table. On our day, we're a decent side.
But if he were to break down.....then I think we're at risk. And signing an experienced, striking option this month would - I believe - have reduced that risk. It didn't have to be Vaughn, but it ought to have been someone.
I think this is an excellent summary of the situation. Putting it generously, we’ve known since October that the front man situation needed sorting. There was a broad consensus that what was needed, particularly given our utterly atrocious start to the season (followed by a dire festive period) was a proven quantity at this level. We were all also in a broad consensus that, particularly after Sam Smith, a young kid on loan from a champ/PL would be nice to have (yes, for f*cks sake, we all remember being indifferent to Roofe’s signing for the 900 people who have said that today) but should NOT be relied upon as the forward to alleviate our striking issues.
To sit through January with big talk, no action, playing chicken with the transfer deadline to only end up with a PL loanee is a real disappointment. I support him fully - but anyone saying this is a ‘good’ signing simply has no justification for doing so. He might turn out to be one - but nobody can know it now (unless they’ve spent more time watching Sunderland than us this year. And from what I’ve seen Sunderland fans aren’t raving about him).
If we were told in July that come Feb 1st we’d be right in the relegation mix with only Mackie and this new lad as viable striking options we’d be furious. To now say this has been a ‘good’ transfer window is a fallacy. Yes it’s been decent - but given how spectacularly abysmal our summer recruitment was, ‘decent’ is not good enough. Graham’s a good signing. Kashi might be. And we’ve cut some dead weight. But that’s it. Sykes and Sinclair are unproven. If they impact our season then great - but given how bad our summer dealings were, and given how bloody long they had to plan and properly identify targets, I do not view this as a great January window.
My own view is that our scouting/player recruitment is the drizzling shits now. Whyte has worked. But who else? Beyond that we’ve had our manager driving off all over Europe, we’ve had journeymen in on extended trials only for them to vanish, and we’ve left ourselves in a position where we are still having ‘recruitment meetings, budget meetings’ and whatever else late in the January window when we f*cking KNEW how important it was to get it right. I fully understand getting gazzumped on deadline day by Pompy for Vaughan (allegedly). With as much time to plan as we’d had, letting it get to that position however, is astonishingly neglectful...and indicative of an ownership regime who view tax commitments as optional/flexible payments and think wishy-washy vague lip-service statements will placate a fan-base who are desperate to know what exactly is going on.
I actually feel for KR here. As he constantly feels the need to tell us, he’s been in football a long time. There’s no way he doesn’t know that his striking options aren’t great...
We may stay up. We have enough quality in the squad to do it (if we can steer clear of injuries). But anyone claiming this is a grand old day, or that we’ve done terrific business, or ‘look at Roofe and McAleny - they came good’...well I’m struggling to reach that opinion myself.