There are arguments for and against the existence of the transfer window. Some say that it forces clubs to blood youngsters in mid season when faced by an injury crisis. The easy (and expensive) option of buying a player or two to fill a gap is now not available.
On the other hand as the deadline approaches (at the end of August for the summer window) a bidding war can start as clubs compete to secure that vital signing. This is unlikely to affect Motherwell as the paramount need to keep within budget means that there is almost nothing in the transfer kitty. At least the state of the finances would be known to Malpas before he accepted the job.
He has made his interest in Alan McCormack public. Whether Preston's new manager will be keen to remove him from the wage bill remains to be seen.
Mo has let it be known that he is looking for a left back, a right sided midfielder and a couple of strikers. He'll be doing well to sign them up in this current window but any he does manage to acquire will give fans a clue to the style of player we can expect in the future. There must be a few that he and Paul Hegarty have their sights on, no doubt we will learn of them in due course.