IT'S going to take Stoke fans quite some time to catch their breaths after a frantic transfer deadline day in which we signed three players, lost two to Portsmouth and were linked with at least half-a-dozen more new recruits, writes Martin Smith.

In the end we have found ourselves with Eidur Gudjohnsen, Jermaine Pennant and Marc Wilson, which goes quite some way to making us a stronger and better team.

It was breathtaking stuff at times, with my emotions ricocheting wildly between unbridled excitement and a feeling of impending doom.

There was talk of Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia arriving – with Tuncay being used as a make-weight for the deal – rumours of a winger coming in from Real Madrid, ever-shortening odds with the online bookmakers that Jermaine Jenas would sign and even some wild speculation that goalkeeper Asmir Begovic would be leaving.

Say what you like about Sky and the way they've shaped the game of football in our country over the past two decades, but they certainly know how to put on a show for deadline day and their coverage was utterly compelling.

Now the dust has started to settle, I would imagine that most Stoke fans would consider it to have been a good day for the club – that's certainly the way I'm looking at it.

One great irony is that we had Icelandic owners for so many years and not one genuinely decent Icelandic player came our way... but now we manage to bring in a player of Eidur Gudjohnsen's quality and stature.

Gudjohnsen may not be at his prime as a striker, and we don't yet know what level of fitness he's currently at, or what persuaded him to bid adieu to the sun-soaked shores of Monaco and say bonjour to Trentham Lakes, but he adds undoubted quality to our squad.

I don't think it's unfair to say that many Stoke fans will view Pennant as coming with some additional baggage, but he offers us options we don't currently possess and could turn out to be one of Pulis's more inspired signings.

He is a player yet to realise the potential he was said to have as a youngster and maybe, just maybe, we could be the club to help him realise it?

As for Wilson, well I'll be the first to hold up my hands and admit that I don't know a great deal about him... except that Portsmouth fans clearly rated him very highly and that Stoke moved heaven and earth to get him.

As well as a transfer fee, we have also sent Dave Kitson, pictured below, and Liam Lawrence to Fratton Park.

Whatever you think about the chances Kitson had in the Stoke side over the past two years it was clear that there was no future for him at the club as soon as he gestured towards the manager at Stamford Bridge last season.

His departure marks the end of an unhappy episode for both parties.

When it comes to Lawrence, though, I find it a little more difficult to say goodbye.

His 15 goals and 15 assists in the 2007/2008 season were crucial factors in our promotion to the Premier League.

He also scored our first Premier League goal at The Brit when he slotted home a penalty against Villa and displayed his value to the club with those late-season winners against Blackburn Rovers and at Hull City.

Lawrence was as important to us as any player in getting Stoke City into the Premier League and all I can do is wish him the very best.

He is guaranteed a warm and enthusiastic reception the next time he sets foot in the Britannia Stadium.

Going back to our signings, it would have been nice to get N'Zogbia in and a player like Jenas may well have added that little spark we miss in the centre of midfield.

However, the three players we did get, added to the earlier signings of Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters, genuinely addresses the issues we have had with goal-scoring and creating chances.

It now remains to be seen where these players fit into the manager's plans, but we'd hope they would help turn things around soon because we don't want our season to turn into a struggle after losing the first three games.

What supporters were looking for in the transfer window was a genuine statement of intent from The Potters – and they have received it.

We didn't get all that we wanted, but we got a lot more than some feared.

As a club we have signalled our intentions to the rest of the Premier League.

We now have two league home games on the bounce ahead of us and both in front of the TV cameras.

A raucous crowd and a display of red-and-white-striped passion should be enough to kick-start our campaign.