Detecting hope and fear on Deadline Day

The transfer window reminds us of the ultimate futility of many of our hopes and dreams, writes Larry Ryan. 

With Deadline Day drawing to a close on Thursday night, the great festival got the ceremonial ending it deserved. As the Sky Sports News man at Chelsea’s training ground brought us the latest chapters in the Drinkwater and Barclay sagas, the screen flickered black, a bunch of mystery assailants roared “faaaack off”, and we returned to Hayley McQueen in studio, who offered profuse apologies if we’d detected any bad language.

It was a brief return to the headiest glory days of the grand old August carnival. A time of infinite possibility when Sky’s intrepid correspondents ran a gauntlet of exuberance in front of the training grounds of England’s top clubs — at the mercy of hope and fear and the odd burning of an effigy.