No news was good news for Ipswich Town on transfer deadline day

There were the usual cries of ‘we need to spend’ from a demanding section of supporters, with Billy Sharp’s name desperately – and sentimentally – mentioned.

The moment he received a standing ovation from home fans at Portman Road, having scored for Doncaster Rovers just days after his newborn son had died, will certainly live long in the memory of all those that were there that day in November 2011.

And with a record of a goal every other game at Championship level, the 27-year-old would certainly have added something to the team.

There was just one minor inconvenience to the conjecture – he was way out of the budget.

Blues boss Mick McCarthy couldn’t have spelt it out any clearer. He’d reached his agreed wage limit, he’d got his squad of 22 players, there were going to be no major new arrivals. Simple as that.

Like it or not, owner Marcus Evans has decided to tighten the purse strings. Why? Because he’s already found out – under the management of Roy Keane and Paul Jewell – that you can’t just buy success. Football is unlike any other business he has worked in.

While his big wage additions underwhelmed, the likes of Blackpool and Crystal Palace have proven that you can succeed in English football club’s second tier on a budget.

Is it any wonder that the multi-millionaire has switched from a ‘you get what you pay for’ mentality to a ‘look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves’ approach?

McCarthy respects that too. When he says he is more than happy to make the most of what he’s given, he means it. This is not a case of a manager taking the party line publicly but privately seething in private.

He’s never been one to change jobs regularly and arrived in Suffolk with his eyes fully open. This was always going to be a long-term role for the Yorkshireman.

The most important thing was that the Blues kept hold of key asset Aaron Cresswell. The 23-year-old has been hailed as the division’s best left-back by his boss and has started the campaign in top form.

Despite being linked with several clubs, a bid did not arrive. A player with undoubted potential to play in the top-flight, he is probably not quite in the £3m-plus bracket just yet.

But he is the sort of player who is only going to get better, and with the average age of the 27 professional players at Ipswich Town just 23 years old, that statement applies to the majority of this squad.

The opening five games of the campaign may have yielded just four points, but Town’s performances suggest they will be comfortably around mid-table at worst this season.

Town fans should know by now – splashing the cash for a quick fix is rarely the answer.