The transfer window for permanent transfers closed yesterday afternoon and there was no movement in or out of the club.

It had been a frustrating couple of weeks for Town manager Paul Simpson as he tried to bring in some new faces to bolster his squad.

ShrewsWeb sat down with Simmo this morning to speak about the attempts to bring in new players: "There's been no activity from us and it has been a very frustrating transfer window to be honest.

"We've tried to get a number of players in and it's a situation where you can do all that you can to try and get players in but sometimes it just doesn't happen.We are in a window where I find it is a little bit of desperation and clubs try and hold people to ransom.

"We've offered money to players and deals to people where we probably have offered more money than we needed to offer, have probably offered more wages than the chairman is comfortable with but for one reason or another the clubs haven't' sold and the players have decided not to come and there is not a lot that you can do.

"There have been many nights this week where I have been on the phone till late at night and then again early in the morning but it hasn't happened and we have to move on.

"We know now that come next Tuesday morning when the loan window opens we can look to brining players in on loan.We still have an opportunity to do something, we still want to do something and when the window opens the players that we wanted may have changed their minds and we will be able to get some of them in."

The number of moves in and out of clubs all over the Premier and Football League seem to be low this season.It had been a frustration for the Town manager with clubs not allowing players out and others now wanting to drop down to League 2 level:"There's hardly anything gone on anywhere, there were a few big moves in the Premier league but apart from that not a lot happened at our level.

"It is frustrating, as I said clubs try to hold you to ransom, we have Premier League clubs who won't let young players go out unless they go to a Championship club, we have Championship players who don't feel they want to drop to League 2 level.

"It's a very difficult situation and I've said all along I don't want to bring in players just to add to our numbers, I believe they have to improve our squad and add something to it."

One player who Town did try to bring in was Barnet forward John O'Flynn on a permanent deal.Simmo and the chairman had been in discussions with Barnet and the player with a fee and terms having been agreed, but in the end O'Flynn, who is out of contract at the end of the season, chose to stay at Underhill: "For some reason Barnet have decided to go public about John O'Flynn and I don't know why they have done that as that has been ongoing for a while now.

"I enquired about John O'Flynn last season to partner Grant Holt and we were quoted a ridiculous figure that we weren't prepared to pay.

"We spoke again over the summer but couldn't do anything, we spoke again during this window and things moved along.We got to a point where we agreed terms with the player and everything was ok there, we agreed a fee with Barnet.

"Then John O'Flynn decided he wouldn't leave Barnet for any club other than those higher than League 2, and he chose not to move.We then got to a point where we talked about doing a loan, John O'Flynn said he would love to come on loan and we tried to do a deal with Barnet but they decided they didn't want to do that.

"That's the way it goes sometimes, he's a player I've admired for a while and one I feel could add to our squad but unfortunately he's chosen not to come."

Town's squad has shown at times this season the levels of performance that they are capable of.Simmo believes there is the quality in the squad and has challenge them to produce a consistent level of performance: "We will keep working with our squad who are one that I feel are a good bunch when we have got them all fit and totally right in their minds, and I think it is one that can sustain a challenge at the top of the table.

"We can achieve something if we all play to the level and potential that they are capable of.

"We will keep working with them, keep encouraging, trying to coach them into the way we want to play and do things and hope they can do it consistently."

Town currently have Joe Skarz on loan from Huddersfield Town and David Button on loan.Skarz deal is until the end of the season but as Button turns 21 at the end of February his loan will need to be changed then into an emergency loan: "We have David on a youth loan at the moment which takes him up to his 21^st birthday at the end of this mo nth.

"We have been in talks with Tottenham about keeping David and they are delighted with the way that he has been looked after and has been progressing so we have no problems there.

"It's merely a paperwork formality at the end of February and if we, Tottenham and David are happy then there will be no issue in extended it."

Town's reserves are in action this afternoon when they take on Macclesfield Town at the Prostar Stadium.The game gives Simmo the chance to take a look at new options and he had been hoping to run the rule over a couple of trialist: "We have had a number of players who haven't played many games and we had the run out against Tranmere last week.

"I was intending to play a couple of trialist in the game this afternoon but it looks like I'll only be able to play the one.

"We had a lad over from Holland who we were assured was ok to play in the game but we have now found out that we are not allowed to get international clearance to play him in a reserve game.

"That is a massive disappointment but we do have the other trialist playing and we will see how they go."