West Bromwich Albion technical chief Dan Ashworth has revealed they did all they could to make a striker signing in January.
Ashworth also explained the decision-making process behind not bringing in another defender in the window.
"I understand - I get frustrated as well," he told the WBA website.
"I don't think anyone is more passionate than I am or the staff at the club. We're desperate to succeed. As the chairman stated, January is basically for topping up, and we haven't historically done a great deal in January.
"But January is very, very difficult.
"We were unfortunate not to get John Carew in the end.
"But it wasn't through lack of trying and not being willing to pay what people wanted us to pay.
"He made a decision at the end of the day to go to Stoke City and I respect that.
"We didn't sit on our backsides and do nothing through the window.
"We actually made bids on 29 strikers in January to take on loan.
"Some aren't available, some had work permit issues, two were not medically fit to come so we pulled out, and two moved within their countries because they didn't want to move their families.
"It's a long drawn-out process."
