The transfer window is fast approaching its halfway point. We knew what had to be done during this period and so, with his expressed optimism about pulling off two signings by today, did Roy Keane.

Let us take stock. In (and he already was in when Keano spoke): Jonny Evans, broadly a welcome acquisition after his superb season in the heart of our Championship defence but still a long way short of proven Premiership quality. And? Er, no one so far except Quintin Fortune, whose signing – if it happened – would not quite set Wearside hearts on fire.

It would be an early candidate for understatement of the year to say that this is a pretty disappointing return from what, we were entitled to hope, was weeks of preparatory work behind the scenes to ensure the right people came to the SoL.

The best that can be said is that there is still plenty of time before the window is slammed shut in our relegation-threatened faces. The worst is that our dismal first half of the season has scarcely left us the luxury of being able to relax. We need Premiership quality now; indeed we needed it by today – before facing ‘arry’s very useful Portsmouth side.

It has always been argued that the Championship – or Second Division to give it the unfashionably accurate title by which the French, among others, still know it – is one heck of a hard league to get out of. Nonsense. We’ve done it loads of times.

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