Doing a great deal of harm
Feb 5 2010 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
STEVE Bruce believes the introduction of the transfer window has had a profoundly negative effect on football and predicts a Bosman-style challenge to its legitimacy in the near future.
The transfer window system was set up in England in 2002 under Fifa orders and has attracted criticism from managers, who believe the system unsettles players and leaves them at the mercy of agents looking for cut of a transfer fees.
Bruce has been a long-standing critic of the system from his Wigan days, when he saw his best players cherry picked by Premier League rivals and the team suffer a subsequent dip in form.
His experience at Sunderland last month has hardly endeared the system to him.
As well as battling constant speculation about striker Kenwyne Jones, he suffered a number of knockbacks in the market, losing out on priority targets Guy Demel, Maynor Figueroa and Adam Johnson.
The Black Cats also found themselves at the mercy of the Premier League over the delayed loan deal which took strker Benjani to the Stadium of Light.
That was a frustration, but Bruce’s discontent goes deeper.
He believes the system has altered football beyond recognition – encouraging teams to stock pile well-paid players in case of injuries and subsequently damaging the quality of the Championship, where they would be plying their trade.
