Closing the window early: Help or Hindrance?

The FA are discussing it, teams are liking it, but is it a move in the right direction?

One of the main talking points in English football at this current time is the new legislation that could see the transfer window closed prior to the football league season opening.

While the idea does have its merits of not losing any key players during the first few games of the season; is this really a step forward?

The short and long answers to the question are both no; there's a lot of issues with the idea and I'll tell you why.

Although I do like the idea of not having measly little Lancashire clubs trying to steal your best striker with underhanded offers that are a joke, but where's the benefit of such a situation?

Say that Leeds finished their business at the end of last week. We're already short at centre back and Borthwick-Jackson isn't their to cover at left back. Berardi, Pennington and Cooper are all injured; where does this leave the club? Up s*** creek if you ask me.

When players come back from a long preseason having not necessarily gained the match fitness needed sometimes by missing out after international duty, an injury is a massive risk.

Football teams need the extra time during the window to complete the finishing touches on all the work that takes place for recruitment.

There's also the issue of the now ineligible emergency loan window which was removed last season. This means if a team is hit with only a handful of injuries in a certain position, they could be at risk of a poor start to the season just because the FA think it's better to close the doors a few weeks early.

Like many things in football, small changes are ruining our game. I hope that the EFL and English FA vote against such a silly ruining and devote their time and money into a proper grass roots system - this is where the country is hurt the most, not bleeding transfer windows!

By Ryan Ingham