Transfer deadline day rocks the boat

Soccer Euro 2008 qualifyingSteve Staunton yesterday described as "shocking" that players could be required to return to England to complete transfer deals just two days before the start of the European Championship qualifying campaign.

Staunton was speaking as his preparations for the first competitive game of his managerial career were thrown into turmoil by a flurry of transfer activity involving squad members.

Kevin Kilbane, Graham Kavanagh and Jonathan Douglas missed training after hurriedly exiting the Ireland camp to tie up moves to Wigan Athletic, Sunderland and Leeds United respectively. And while Liam Miller did train, he also left for Sunderland, where Niall Quinn and Roy Keane were clearly busy.

Last night Kilbane completed his move to Wigan from Everton for an undisclosed fee and has secured a three-year contract. Sunderland snapped up Kavanagh for £500,000 on a three-year deal while Miller was having a medical and finalising personal terms last night. Keane also signed his former Manchester United team-mate Dwight Yorke from Sydney FC in deal worth £200,000. Keane then raided his last club Celtic with Ross Wallace and Stanislav Varga signing late last night.

Andy O'Brien was still hoping last night Portsmouth might receive an offer for his services that would require him to take temporary leave of the squad, but by the time he arrived in Germany his hopes of moving had all but evaporated, Sunderland having baulked at Portsmouth's demand for €3 million.

Earlier in the day after most of the squad trained in Malahide, Staunton was unsure when the absentees would make it to Germany but did say he would not see them until they reached Stuttgart.

"The players have had to go back to England for medicals," said Staunton just before he and his squad returned to the team hotel to make final preparations for their flight. "They've gone nowhere yet but they're having medicals.Today is the last day for transfers. The players' futures are involved and there's nothing we can do. It's just one of those things although it's shocking to think that the laws and dates involved are two days before the first match in the European Championship."

Everybody had known the problem might arise given the strange timing of the transfer deadline, which could easily have been fixed for Tuesday rather than last night. But the extent of the upheaval must still have surprised the Ireland manager.

"The players' livelihoods are involved which makes it a little difficult," said John Delaney, chief executive of the FAI. "But it's certainly something we may look to raise with Uefa, because the situation is far from ideal."

Staunton, meanwhile, tried to console himself that the players would arrive in Germany with "renewed spark" after completing deals, ensuring a return next week to the prospect of first-team football. He was clearly dismayed, however, by events.

Douglas and O'Brien, as it happens, had made no secret of their desire to move in pursuit of regular football, Douglas stating on Wednesday he had enjoyed his time at Elland Road last year and benefited from playing weekly in competitive games.

Miller has been looking for a move since returning to Old Trafford from Leeds at the end of last season, but Kilbane insisted on Wednesday he was happy at Everton despite his poor start to the season. Graham Kavanagh's fall from favour at Wigan has been rapid as Paul Jewell strengthened his squad in the summer.

The moves have seriously disruption Staunton's preparations for what should prove the most difficult game of the campaign but it is clear he had to let the players go.

He remained positive, however, about tomorrow's game, the 37-year-old insisting he and his players know precisely what to expect from Joachim Loew's side and are confident they will cope.

"We know what the Germans are going to do - they are going to come at us like they have at every team in the past six to eight months," he said.

"They are not invincible by any means. We know what we have to do and the lads will show that on Saturday night. They know what they (the Germans) are about. It's up to us to counteract that and impose ourselves.

"We have to go there and try to win the game. If you don't do that the Germans will keep you penned in for 90 minutes and there isn't a team in the world that could withstand that."