Another failed January window? It depends how you look at it

I can't deny however the lack of striking options is a huge concern.

I can't get away from the thinking that what if Beto gets injured?

We don't have any other available fit option.

DCL and Broja are gone until March at the earliest probably a bit longer before fit.

Chermiti ain't kicked a ball in anger all season.

Wolves have attempted to secure their position with 3 signings for just under €50m.

Bournemouth have bought two of the most talented teenagers in world football in Soler and Kroupi.

Etc etc.

Alcaraz might be an astute signing - but it's all about minimising spending.

One Swallow and all that and we're still going to lose games...hopefully not the Derby.

But up to now most of us have a slight smile on our faces - even the ones who think the window was a total piece of shit.

So far, for me, the jury is still out.

There are only 2 league matches in March, so I’m guessing we’re counting on getting a lot of the injured back by April.

The summer transfer window will show us who they really are.

We've had pretty much the worst case of PSR problems in recent years, yet we're not the only ones who avoided spending in this window.

I suppose we just go with what we've got. And we shouldn't get too carried away with the last three results. It's been better than what went before and some good fun, but there are tougher days ahead.

If we'd just had this window while Dyche was here then I'd be completely shitting myself but I think Moyes is better at getting players believing in themselves more than the previous fella who just wanted everyone to believe all he had was a part-time Sunday league team.

I imagine the summer will be the true window of opportunity for TFG to show us what they can or can't do with the money.

I will be surprised if we see Alcatraz start a game for a month unless we have further injuries, but he’s one for next season along with other new signings in the summer.

That'll upset a couple 😬.

It won’t be easy but we will be safe with what we’ve got coming back to fitness.

In the meantime, if Beto is shot after 80 mins we have Sherif as his deputy.

Ifs, buts and maybes, obvs.

In the summer we will get a better idea of what TFG will bring to the table in terms of squad building. Many will hope that Thelwell won’t be here by then but personally I think he’s done a pretty decent job and Charly Alcaraz looks like another sensible addition at low cost/risk. O’Brien is now looking like a solid acquisition and if Beto keeps up anything like his performance against Leicester he may yet prove his worth whilst Ndiaye at £15m must be one our best transfers in a long while.

In an ideal world I'd like to have seen Evan Ferguson come in, I don't know why but maybe the loan situation has conducted that one and we've got too many already.

It's just a shame that as soon as Moyes walks through the door we lose two strikers through injury

Per Boyland at the New York Times, we did run at Ferguson but we were never higher than third on his preference list. He just had more attractive options. And we also made an offer for Fellows. So it's not like there wasn't an effort to sign a young forward.

At least we didn't try to bring in Diego Costa on a free. Now THAT would have been panic personified.

We sold one youth player for pure profit.

We loaned out one youth player to get much needed first team football at Championship level.

We brought in a Prem League player with just over two years Championship and PL experience. Though according to Russell Martin (former Soton manager) he isn't that technically developed to be played in Martin's pure passing system. However, he is pretty much attack minded, can play centrally or either flank.

Maybe him being an incoming, was the rocket that improved Doucoure's play vs Leicester last Saturday?

This ties up with Timmy and Jimmy returning to the team, and YC, DCL and Broja 'reportedly' via the club returning between 3-6 weeks or so.

Job done, excellent signings, decent loans, and I'd take that with 9/15 points in January and progress to the FAC 4th round.

Mark M, [3]

I'd still prefer Omari Benjamin, but I haven't seen either in action?

21:32 - Somto Boniface [Chelsea - Ipswich] Undisclosed

21:32 - Alex Palmer [West Brom - Ipswich] Undisclosed

Seamus looks like he is finished and Patto's injury record isn't great.

I know that's worst case scenario but we have 15 games to go plus (hopefully) any cup games.

Like many have already mentioned, glad we got the Alcaraz deal done, though it didn't look like happening at one point. I hope he proves to be part of the picture after so many games. I would like to see the goals being shared out too, between all departments, and not just relying on those up front !

Didn't Moyes put out teams without a recognise striker in his first appointment with us?

He played Fellaini and Cahill in tandem with each other, swapping roles if I recall.

When Beto was subbed off - he put Ndiaye as a forward - who then scored!

Alcaraz could be an inspired signing, and others have said, put a rocket underneath Doucoure. We're nine clear, with Ipswich and Southampton still to come to Goodison. Beat them, go on a cup run, and a couple other (maybe three more wins in the league), and I can live with it.

If West Brom and Sunderland stay in the Championship, I'd fully expect Moyes to pilfer them in the summer. He always did sign from the Championship, often with great results.

Steady on with that sensible outlook Brian you'll upset people.

Parking any PSR concerns to one side, the Manager and Thelwell didn't have time to establish a working relationship.

I too am intrigued by the Alcaraz signing Dave. He could turn out to be a bit of a steal if I believe the figures I'm reading.

I think before the introduction of transfer windows and deadline days (Sky Sports making a seeming 24 hour programme out of it as the tumbleweeds keep rolling past), I recall us signing a certain Kevin Campbell late on in the season on loan from Turkey. In those initial few months, he went on to be our leading goal scorer that season.

If I'm reading TFG right - and I have no idea whether I am - then I expect Thelwell to remain in place and a no more than modest transfer budget to be available in the summer. Stabilizing does not mean spending upwards of £30m on a whim on a player that the manager fancies. I think those days, thankfully, are behind us. We need a more structured and risk averse approach to recruitment, and I hope the work led by Thelwell continues, shopping in the bargain basement is also something Moyes is familiar with. I hope the two of them can work together going forward.

There's also some irony in the fact that now David Moyes has returned to Everton, all of the big spending occurred while he was away, it's back to square one for him.

It's going to be interesting. TFG must of already had the conversations with Moyes, the owners must know the summer could need big investment across the first team. I'm thinking it will be Jarred on his way to give the extra funds and psr wiggle room.

Moyes and Thelwell know what they want. It's another thing getting it in the current climate.

If we hadn't of got the 3 wins there would be murder on here about the failings of the club.

We need quality all over the park, we have a couple of decent players and lots of average ones.

We need reinforcements, buying a player in January who is out of contract in the summer is a risk we should have tried, maybe we did and got knocked back?

Lots of free agents will be in high demand in the summer due to psr biting most clubs.

DCl to Newcastle has been rumoured for months. Even if he bombs out up there they will be able to sell him for a profit like Lloyd Kelly.

Personally I think it's a failed window from a footballing point of view as I have no grasp of our financial position other than psr restrictions.

Arsenal are saying they are disappointed with the window by not landing 29 year old Watkins for £60m then maybe us being 5th from bottom with 1 fit striker should also be disappointed?