McCall reveals transfer frustration

01 February 2011 17:00

Stuart McCall revealed he had endured his most frustrating two days as a manager after failing to soften the blow of Motherwell`s semi-final defeat by Rangers with a new signing.

McCall had been seeking a new forward after losing Nick Blackman and Alan Gow in January but saw five potential deals collapse in little over 24 hours.

The former Bradford boss, who had previously been in for David Healy before the Northern Ireland striker moved to Rangers, said: "I`ve got to say, the last 48 hours are probably the most frustrated I`ve been as a manager."

He added: "On the back of the defeat against Rangers, I put my phone back on after the game, the boy I thought I had got unfortunately had a bit of a family crisis and has to stay down south until the summer. That happens, it was unfortunate.

"The second target, we couldn`t match what he was being offered in England.

"The third target, which we always knew was going to be there and would have been a good one, unfortunately his club couldn`t get a couple of strikers in which they thought they were absolutely certain to get.

"The fourth one got offered more money to go to America.

"The fifth one was 50-50. In fairness to him, because we came in so late, he had already given his word to an English club last week.

"He was still keen and up to quarter to eight we were still hopeful of getting him. It was really, really frustrating.

"But you try to get your top target in and I really thought we were going to get him."

Source: PA