COLCHESTER United are looking to add to their squad ahead of tonight's transfer deadline, but Tom Flanagan insists they will not be drawn into making rushed or financially reckless decisions.
The U's want to bring in new players before tonight's 11pm deadline, with the added factor of their League Two clash at Bristol Rovers tonight.
Flanagan admits deadline day can be an exciting occasion for supporters, but the U's head of recruitment says it is far less enjoyable for those tasked with completing deals amid the usual late-window uncertainty.
“Deadline day is exciting as a fan,” said Flanagan.
“I’ve moved clubs on deadline day – it’s a terrible thing to do.
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“It’s just chaotic; you make rash decisions and things like that.
“We’ve got some positions that we want to fill.
“We have a couple of injuries now, which makes it a little bit more difficult.
“But as well, we’ve only got a certain amount of money to play with.
“We’ve got obligations to players and we can’t break the bank, just to get someone else in.
“The club is run in a certain way and that’s the way that it should be.
“When you look at the clubs that get themselves in trouble, it’s important that we don’t end up being one of them.”
Flanagan says recruitment departments are always looking to improve, even when a squad appears well stocked on paper.
With the League Two campaign still in its early stages, clubs are still assessing their own strengths - and those of their promotion rivals - before deciding whether further investment is needed.
“I think there’s always a lot of work to do, especially at this stage of the season,” he said.
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“No-one knows who’s going to win the league, so even if you feel like you’ve got the best squad, you don’t know what everyone else is like yet so even if you feel like you’ve completed it, you still want to add to it.
“That’s just the nature of football – everyone’s greedy in football and that’s why it’s in the position it’s in.”
While Colchester supporters will naturally hope for an eye-catching final signing, Flanagan offered a light-hearted assessment of the sort of player every club would like to uncover.
“As much as we want a centre forward who’s going to score 40 goals in a season, cost us nothing and we sell him for £100m, I haven’t found one yet!” he said.
“We’ve just got to be really careful.
“I’m sure there will be thinking that we’ve been quite slow with it but it’s a big decision and a big commitment.
“No-one seems to say it out loud but we’re spending someone else’s money, so it’s quite important you get it right.
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“If I gave my kids my bank card, I’d want to know what they’re spending the money on!
“That’s exactly the way it should be and I do take that into consideration.”
Flanagan also accepts the personal accountability attached to the role, with the players he helps bring into the club ultimately reflecting on both the ownership and recruitment staff.
He added: “When the team goes out onto the pitch, they’re a representation of Dan and Nick and ultimately, they’ll now be a representation of myself, in terms of the ones I’ve signed.”
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