Suggestion was that there wasn't a deadline as such tonight, anyway.
You play the old 'emergency loan' card and you can haul someone's ass in tomorrow morning if needs be; so it wasn't necessarily a case of six o'clock or else.
But whatever, there was no fresh news expected tonight and everyone was staying firmly 'Mum…' about whether or not that two o'clock phonbe call Roeder was promised ever materialised.
Given it was all eyes on the Foxes' clash tomorrow, reaction would in every likelihood have to wait until after the game.
He had, after all, already suggested that he was dealing with the modern player beast in his chat to the Press this morning; having already been knocked back once in his reign by boys who get a nosebleed anywhere outside the M25 after dark, it could be a lively discussion tomorrow is someone else has pulled that trick.
The second 'target' over and above the loan was always the old faithful, Martin Taylor. Keep your eyes on Blues' match against Chelsea to see whether or not 'Tiny' continues to work his way ever more into Alex McLeish's affections after being an unused sub in their decent 1-1 draw at The Emirates last weekend.
For that's the fear there chatting to my pal in the Midlands; that the more McLeish sees Taylor at work, the more he discovers what a decent lad he is the less likely he is to deal – particularly if it then leaves him short of cover.
If that happens, that looks set to happen late.
Otherwise, it was all deathly quiet. Which suits the agents. You just keep your boys under wraps for as long as possible and watch as the price goes up. Like if your McFadden's man at Everton – you're pulling 15% of any transfer and the fact that Blues are now reported to be offering ?5.5 million having kicked off the bidding at ?2 million means that Christmas as come late this year.
Norris is the one where the action is as his agent – aka his dad, David Norris Snr – got that little auction going by telling the world that Argyle had never actually got round to starting new contract talks with his boy. So, therefore, it was time for David Jnr to seriously consider his future.
It was a classic speech complete with the usual: 'He's 27-years-old now and has to think seriously about his future…'
Given that Town boss Jim Magilton has nibbled there twice and has yet to touch any of the Marcus Evans cash and that at the Walkers, Ian Holloway knows the lad inside out and now has Mandaric's millions to play with, if Roeder was to fancy his chances there, the going could get rough…
Basically, we're all shaping up for a long night on the 31st.
As ever.
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