Rowell Report: Only time will tell if Sunderland's summer signings prove as effective as January dealings

I would much prefer the transfer window to close before the season starts as the early games have almost been overshadowed as the window takes on a life of its own, dominating the media and only now that it is over do I feel like the season can properly begin.

Time will tell whether David Moyes’ first transfer window has been successful or not.

I certainly hope so, but I have doubts that it will be as effective as the last one in January when three players immediately improved the team and that was the main reason that we stayed up.

It was good to see the club break a club record with the signing of Didier Ndong, a player I know very little of so I can’t wait to see him perform. He is at an age where his best years should be ahead of him.

However, I was astonished we didn’t spend money on another striker and now with Fabio Borini’s injury, we are probably the club with the least striking options in all four leagues – even with the late addition of free agent Victor Anichebe.

I was also disappointed that a deal couldn’t be worked out for the return of Yann M’Vila because with him in the team, Sunderland would definitely be stronger.

If there was one deal that did go through that showed Sunderland’s lack of foresight and judgement in past years, it was Marcos Alonso’s £24million move to Chelsea as he is a player we should have snapped up after his successful loan spell and it would have been at a fraction of his current valuation.

The next transfer window doesn’t open until the new year now, and it would be a nice change if we are not talking in December about needing a good January window to keep us up again.