THE mood of deflation was palpable as the clock struck 11pm over Hull City's Cottingham training ground on Monday night.
The stomach-churning demise of a club record £5.5m deal to sign Shane Long had silenced the room during those final minutes of the transfer window.
Manager Steve Bruce was said to be devastated by West Brom's late, late U-turn.
All others present, including Long, were left equally flat by the unforeseen twist.
For all the successful business City had enjoyed in the four months that followed their promotion out of the Championship, perspective was slippery to grasp on Monday night.
To have witnessed Long slip through their fingers was a cruel finale to a record-breaking transfer window that has transformed the make-up of Bruce's squad.
But, like losing a penny when you have already found a pound, City have scope to reflect positively on a period that has helped construct one of the strongest squads in the club's 109-year history.
Managing director Nick Thompson has been at the centre of this summer's trading and he feels not even a failed bid for Long can dampen all that has gone before.
"I suppose it's like being a postman where you're only as good as your last delivery, but if you look at the window overall we've done a pretty good job," said Thompson, as the dust settled at the KC yesterday.
"It could have finished off on such a high, but when you go through the team this season you can already see why we moved for those players.
"Steve's done a brilliant job in his recruitment and built a side that is more than capable at this level. The way in which the team has played in the first three games we have looked as though we're part of the Premier League and not here to make up the numbers."
City's extensive recruitment drive has seen 11 players arrive for a combined sum of £12.9m.
A deal for Long, which could have risen to £6.5m, would have been a delightful denouement.
In between the familiar faces of George Boyd becoming the first arrival on May 28 and Gedo the last late on Monday, a further nine players recruited have made City the third busiest club in the Premier League behind Crystal Palace and Sunderland, both of whom finished with 14 new signings. Others around the Tigers demonstrated a far greater financial muscle yet all areas of concern in Bruce's squad have been satisfyingly addressed.
"I look at all of our signings and think they will all make a difference," said Thompson.
"Allan McGregor has made excellent saves in every game so far and Steve Harper is a great character to have in the camp.
"There's Maynor Figueroa who just oozes class.
"I'm not sure I appreciated the gap between a Premier League quality player and a Championship player until seeing him at left-back. It's effortless.
"Curtis Davies has played a blinder in every game and Jake Livermore just runs and runs. His statistics are amazing. I don't need to say much about Tom Huddlestone, he's a genius.
"I felt Danny Graham played very well at Manchester City and was unfortunate to see a quality finish ruled out for offside and there's still plenty to come from Yannick Sagbo. "He made a mistake (getting sent off against Norwich) but we saw in pre-season what a good player he is. The coaching staff are very hopeful for him.
"We all know about Ahmed Elmohamady and George Boyd after the roles they played last season and to get Gedo in as well was a good piece of business. It looks like a well-balanced squad with more than enough quality to compete."
City's promotion was not without its victims.
First-team regulars from last season Jack Hobbs and Corry Evans were allowed to join Nottingham Forest and Blackburn respectively, while Tom Cairney could also be hunting a home away from the KC Stadium if his loan at Ewood Park turns into a success.
Conor Townsend, who joined Carlisle, and Cameron Stewart, on loan to Charlton, also both have work to do to earn a future beyond the final year of their current deals.
Matty Fryatt, Nick Proschwitz and Aaron Mclean will all be weighing up the best route out of City's shadows, conscious that Bruce has shown no regard for sentiment.
A failure to land Long could yet leave the door open for redemption but the thought of Fryatt, Proschwitz and Mclean all potentially being deemed surplus to requirements is a barometer of just how far they have come.
