Richard Wood and Chris Hussey both signed full contracts with Coventry City (Until 2013), having been on loan from Sheffield Wednesday and AFC Wimbledon respectively. Hussey is yet another described as 'one for the future', though the reality is, such plans never come to fruition at Coventry City. Stockport's goal-scoring midfielder Carl Baker was another signing, with his ability to hit the target something massively needed at the Ricoh! (Baker netted nine times in five games earlier in the season). Baker has already paid back some of his transfer fee with a couple of valuable assists to his name (Against Barnsley and Blackpool). Gary Deegan also joined the club (Also on a three-and-a-half-year deal).

Gary Madine didn't have his loan spell at the club extended, nor made into a permanent move, while another target, David Healy, signed for Ipswich on loan. Any hopes of signing Peterboro striker Aaron McLean were probably ended when the tabloids reported Birmingham City were set to make a bid of £3 million, and there was a fair amount of surprise at the news Gary McSheffrey wasn't linked with a move back to Coventry City (For the first transfer window since he left us). Chris Coleman has already started spouting that a couple of loan deals for strikers are in the pipe-line, though it would probably be a first if his comments turned out to be true.

Only Leon Best left the club (For anywhere between £500,000 and £2,000,000), with his sale seemingly splitting supporters 50-50 as to whether or not Coventry City made a mistake in allowing him to leave (For the record, they didn't). Sometimes Premiership quality, sometimes Division Four quality, Best's time at the club was perfectly summed up in last seasons F.A. Cup fixture versus Chelsea, where he left an England defender trailing in his wake, only to not even test the keeper with a shot that probably still hasn't landed yet. Some numpties continue to cling to the fact Best was treated badly by supporters, though, with the exception of last weekend (After a dismal display, and in the knowledge Best was as good as gone), he hasn't actually been booed for twelve months.

Thankfully, short of stunning everybody by allowing him to go out on loan, it looks as if Kieran Westwood is here at least until the season ends - despite reports that Tottenham made a late bid to take him to White Hart Lane. Sunderland's reported pathetic offer of £1.5 million for Westwood also never materialised. If Coleman's decision to play a 5-5-0 system versus Blackpool continues for the rest of the season (A decision that did seem to have supporters almost united in agreement that as a tactic, it stinks), Westwood will have a big part to play in deciding which division we are in next season....

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• Telegraph Article No.6 Season 09/10