CRYSTAL Palace were in talks with two other players other than new loan signings Kevin Phillips and Stephen Dobbie on transfer deadline day, says manager Ian Holloway.
And he admitted he's never been so busy trying to sign players in the whole of football career.
"It was reported we were in for others and we missed them for all sorts of reasons, and really I can't ask for anymore because we tried our best and had a right good go," he told Advertiser Sport.
"The way it was, it was ridiculous. The two we were linked with and talked about end up not even getting what they were promised.
"I can say I spoke personally to both players, but the way this transfer window is, it's a complete and utter rat race.
"I have never tried to set up so many deals in my life because so many of them might have fallen through, just because we were rumoured to be in for somebody.
"It's completely crazy and my wife said to me last night 'any top club could pretend to be in for someone right until the last minute to stop their rivals getting a player off them for a ridiculous amount of money, then pull out at the last second, has anybody thought of that?' – that's what could happen.
"You could deliberately scupper your opponents because they are now locked into a window, which should never be there anyway, and you wouldn't have this madness."
The contents of this article must NOT be reproduced without the permission of the Croydon Advertiser.
And he admitted he's never been so busy trying to sign players in the whole of football career.
"It was reported we were in for others and we missed them for all sorts of reasons, and really I can't ask for anymore because we tried our best and had a right good go," he told Advertiser Sport.
"The way it was, it was ridiculous. The two we were linked with and talked about end up not even getting what they were promised.
"I can say I spoke personally to both players, but the way this transfer window is, it's a complete and utter rat race.
"I have never tried to set up so many deals in my life because so many of them might have fallen through, just because we were rumoured to be in for somebody.
"It's completely crazy and my wife said to me last night 'any top club could pretend to be in for someone right until the last minute to stop their rivals getting a player off them for a ridiculous amount of money, then pull out at the last second, has anybody thought of that?' – that's what could happen.
"You could deliberately scupper your opponents because they are now locked into a window, which should never be there anyway, and you wouldn't have this madness."
The contents of this article must NOT be reproduced without the permission of the Croydon Advertiser.
Follow me on Twitter for the latest Palace news, exclusives and live match updates @AdvertiserSport
If you're on Facebook, please 'Like' our page at www.facebook.com/AdvertiserSport
Watch our exclusive away videos following Palace around the country on our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/AdvertiserSport