IS that not shut yet? Ah, it shut for us last week.”

Before City fans start frothing, Stuart McCall was only joking about the transfer window. At least I think so.

As it stands – depending on when you are reading this – we have four days, a handful of hours, a specific number of minutes and the odd second to go. Check Sky Sports News for the ticker.

The TV event of the half-year is almost upon us again; Christmas Day for the excitable studio presenters clad in canary-yellow as the clock counts down to 11pm on Wednesday.

Head of recruitment Greg Abbott had been hoping that the Bantams will not be involved in the final-day “pandemonium”, as Rotherham boss Alan Stubbs describes it.

But with every tick of the clock – see Sky for exact details – the prospect of being dragged in to a last-gasp bun fight looms larger.

Great fun for the armchair public and those who judge success on viewing figures but not so for those stuck in the middle.

McCall said: “Most managers would say they’d want it to close once the season starts. If the transfer window ended on the Friday before the first game, you’d all know where you stand.

“It can’t come quickly enough for most managers. Then you know what you’ve got to work with, especially as there’s no emergency loans now.

“It’s enjoyable watching when you’re not involved but you don’t really want to get wrapped up in it.”

McCall had strolled in to Thursday’s press conference dead-panning about “this fella Bony” and asking if he was any good.

The in-demand Manchester City man may be slightly too distant for the Valley Parade radar but the striker hunt remains the pressing issue.

The problem is, that is also the case at probably two thirds of the division.

All City’s opponents up to now have been after the same type; Oldham today, Peterborough, Coventry.

The Sky Blues did arrive at Valley Parade last week with their new frontman, the untried Dan Agyei from Burnley, and he certainly looked a handful.

Inevitably, he had been another one under consideration from the Bantams before they opted to carry on looking elsewhere.

Every potential target is tracked by a pack of wannabe suitors; the market even more crowded this time as clubs feel the bite from the scrapping of emergency loans.

Once Thursday chimes, that’s it with your squad until January. There is no longer a top-up option to supply short-term cover in between.

That has changed the dynamic lower down the leagues as clubs must decide whether to overload the wage bill by stocking up or take the gamble and go without.

McCall said: “You see Rory (McArdle) and Darbs (Stephen Darby) being out injured, we probably would have gone and got a right back in for a month. But you can’t do that any more.

“We know the situation. We’re still after a striker and possibly look to bring in another one. But it’s a waiting game. Every time we’re interested in players, there are another dozen clubs.

“If you’re looking at the Premier League or top-end Championship, sometimes you’ve got to wait for them to bring in players before they let their lads out on loan.”

Adam Armstrong has been the name on everyone’s lips after his 20-goal season at Coventry and City’s hat is in that particularly cramped ring.

But the chances of taking him are understood to be “pie in the sky”, according to one source close to the situation.

It appears that Newcastle will look to keep him in the second tier where they can monitor him playing at the same level.

Rotherham might have ruled themselves out but there are others in the Championship keen to take a punt on the youngster.

Caolan Lavery, another name on City’s list, has appeared close to crossing Sheffield from Wednesday to United, although there are no guarantees the longer that rumbles on.

It appears that any Bantams business will be of the loan variety – a younger one from a higher level – and McCall is still “hopeful”. But no bids will be unopposed as the pack grow increasingly nervous.

Demands from clubs and players will change by the hour.

The temptation for all is to panic – and then you risk ending up with a target more Bonnie Langford than Wilfried Bony.