I was on holiday in a rather remote region when the transfer window closed, so was kept waiting for excited news of frenetic late dealings. And waiting, and waiting, because of course, no one got excited as no remarkable late deals got done.
It leaves me with a real sense of regret, especially where Liverpool are concerned. Of course, I was acutely aware of the fact that they had no money to spend, but still in the back of my brain was a faint hope they had hoodwinked us all, and would go out and make a spectacular star signing that would have the Premier League buzzing.
Most of us can never be neutral when it comes to football, but were you able to be for a second, then it wouldn't be hard to see that Liverpool ending their 20 year wait for the title could only be good for the game in this country.
I believe that English football needs a powerful Liverpool winning trophies, and I think that deep down even Manchester United fans would concede that the lack of a real title threat from Merseyside for much of the past two decades diminishes the game - however slightly.
This was to be their season. Liverpool were within touching distance of the title last season, and would surely have become Champions had they been able to call on even a fraction of the firepower United enjoyed from the bench when games against the likes of Spurs, Aston Villa and Wigan late in the season started to slip away from them.
Rafael Benitez knew that too. The Anfield manager was painfully aware that while he had a team to compete with the best, his squad was too thin, and he didn't have the quality cover required for key positions. Even in March, he was planning to recruit those players.
But the financial crisis that has swept across the globe caught up with the Merseyside club this summer, and instead of investing in those players the manager thought would provide the final step to the title, Liverpool became a club that had to make a profit in the transfer market.
In these current financial conditions, that is no bad thing, and given the climate at the moment, it is difficult to argue that any organisation or individual should start spending money they don't have. And yet, I have a sense that Liverpool may just have been penny wise and pound foolish.
United, while remaining formidable will not be quite the force they were last season, and while Chelsea now have a top class manager and an enviable start to the campaign, they are an aging squad who were not much refreshed in the summer. Manchester City are still some time away from being title contenders, while Arsenal are probably still a little too inexperienced (though I do hesitate to say that.
Had Liverpool invested in a couple of match-winners from midfield and attack, then they would have gone into the season as favourites to win the Premier League. But they didn't, and managed to lose a key player in Xabi Alonso while they were at it.
I still think they can win the title, but now they will need the odds to fall in their favour, particularly where injuries are concerned. Even the normal amount of bad luck all clubs suffer will surely be too much for them to cope with, and should Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt or Jamie Carragher have extended spells away from the team, then they will struggle.
The worst case scenario is even grimmer. If City remain within striking distance of the top four until the New Year, their muscle in the January transfer window - potential bans notwithstanding - will make them genuine contenders to break the established order. Then, Arsenal or perhaps an injury-dogged Liverpool will be vulnerable to missing out on crucial European income.
It is my belief that Benitez agrees with this assessment. He knows with the right backing he could have had a proper shot at the title this season, and he knows that his job was made much harder when that backing didn't materialise.
How much harder, only time will tell, but the Spaniard will not settle for second best for too long at Anfield, because he knows that his own position will be in jeopardy should Liverpool go another season without a trophy.
As I said, an end to the Reds' wait for the title will surely be a good thing for English football. It is just a shame the club didn't appear to recognise the glorious opportunity they surely had this summer to secure that elusive piece of silverware.
It leaves me with a real sense of regret, especially where Liverpool are concerned. Of course, I was acutely aware of the fact that they had no money to spend, but still in the back of my brain was a faint hope they had hoodwinked us all, and would go out and make a spectacular star signing that would have the Premier League buzzing.
Most of us can never be neutral when it comes to football, but were you able to be for a second, then it wouldn't be hard to see that Liverpool ending their 20 year wait for the title could only be good for the game in this country.
I believe that English football needs a powerful Liverpool winning trophies, and I think that deep down even Manchester United fans would concede that the lack of a real title threat from Merseyside for much of the past two decades diminishes the game - however slightly.
This was to be their season. Liverpool were within touching distance of the title last season, and would surely have become Champions had they been able to call on even a fraction of the firepower United enjoyed from the bench when games against the likes of Spurs, Aston Villa and Wigan late in the season started to slip away from them.
Rafael Benitez knew that too. The Anfield manager was painfully aware that while he had a team to compete with the best, his squad was too thin, and he didn't have the quality cover required for key positions. Even in March, he was planning to recruit those players.
But the financial crisis that has swept across the globe caught up with the Merseyside club this summer, and instead of investing in those players the manager thought would provide the final step to the title, Liverpool became a club that had to make a profit in the transfer market.
In these current financial conditions, that is no bad thing, and given the climate at the moment, it is difficult to argue that any organisation or individual should start spending money they don't have. And yet, I have a sense that Liverpool may just have been penny wise and pound foolish.
United, while remaining formidable will not be quite the force they were last season, and while Chelsea now have a top class manager and an enviable start to the campaign, they are an aging squad who were not much refreshed in the summer. Manchester City are still some time away from being title contenders, while Arsenal are probably still a little too inexperienced (though I do hesitate to say that.
Had Liverpool invested in a couple of match-winners from midfield and attack, then they would have gone into the season as favourites to win the Premier League. But they didn't, and managed to lose a key player in Xabi Alonso while they were at it.
I still think they can win the title, but now they will need the odds to fall in their favour, particularly where injuries are concerned. Even the normal amount of bad luck all clubs suffer will surely be too much for them to cope with, and should Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt or Jamie Carragher have extended spells away from the team, then they will struggle.
The worst case scenario is even grimmer. If City remain within striking distance of the top four until the New Year, their muscle in the January transfer window - potential bans notwithstanding - will make them genuine contenders to break the established order. Then, Arsenal or perhaps an injury-dogged Liverpool will be vulnerable to missing out on crucial European income.
It is my belief that Benitez agrees with this assessment. He knows with the right backing he could have had a proper shot at the title this season, and he knows that his job was made much harder when that backing didn't materialise.
How much harder, only time will tell, but the Spaniard will not settle for second best for too long at Anfield, because he knows that his own position will be in jeopardy should Liverpool go another season without a trophy.
As I said, an end to the Reds' wait for the title will surely be a good thing for English football. It is just a shame the club didn't appear to recognise the glorious opportunity they surely had this summer to secure that elusive piece of silverware.
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