John Gibbons: Quiet deadline day shows Liverpool are set for the season

As you will all know by now, the transfer window Slammed Shut on Thursday at 5pm. Although apparently this actually meant 7pm, so long as you had got your “deal sheet” in. Honestly, had anyone heard of that particular term before 5 o’clock yesterday? Yet suddenly there was everyone from sports presenters to your nan talking about whether Everton had got Kurt Zouma’s deal sheet in on time.

The deal sheet swizz was a relief for Southampton who apparently got to 4:30pm before realising they didn’t have a striker. It meant they were able to ring Liverpool and swoop for Danny Ings – though reportedly they don’t have to pay anything for 12 months. Like he’s a sofa from DFS.

Apart from that, Liverpool didn’t do anything. Well, they did – but they did it months ago. Like the smug friend who’s done all his Christmas shopping online in November, we were able to sit back and watch everyone else running round throwing things in their trolley based on Football Manager stats and YouTube compilations.

Of course, this whole thing can be more exciting. Everton fans were able to declare themselves “winners of the transfer window” by signing a defender who might play for Chelsea one day and a few lads who lived in Barcelona.

But sometimes it’s good to be boring. Like a wise philosopher once said, it’s like doing your homework on a Friday night so you have the whole weekend to party. Actually I think that might have been a line in Wayne’s World. But Wayne was a smart guy too.

Liverpool have certainly spent the last month partying. From Ann Arbor down to Dublin, we’ve won the bloomin’ lot. Whilst Manchester United were getting had off by Diego Godin’s agent, Jurgen Klopp was casually training the players he’s had together for the best part of a month. Sure, lads have come back from the World Cup late, the same as all clubs, but key new signings Naby Keita and Fabinho were there on day one, and have spent the summer integrating with the rest of the squad.

Everyone knows about Liverpool’s front three – they score a ton of goals and run all day. But, over the last 12 months, rather than just this summer, Liverpool have quietly added a great spine to function behind it. A midfield that now has more steel and balance with Keita and Fabinho, Virgil Van Dijk going into his first full season as a Liverpool centre-half and a goalkeeper with hands like saucepans and feet like Beckenbauer.

Of course there is pressure on Liverpool now, as Jose Mourinho occasionally pauses from slaughtering his own players in order to tell everyone. There is pressure on Alisson in particular to avoid becoming the latest goalkeeper we somehow ruin. His hefty price tag means there will be somewhat unrealistic expectations that he’ll save everything, catch everything and overthrow the Tory government.

Being the most expensive anything in the world can be tricky. So it was very kind of Chelsea to break the transfer record again for Some Lad the other day. Very kind of them indeed.

As a Liverpool fan it’s hard not to be positive. And I know we do this every summer and I know in the Premier League era seasons end with us not winning it. And I know Manchester City are really good. But it’s our best chance for ages and we aren’t the only ones who think it. West Ham. Sunday lunch time. Wish we were kicking off now.