Window getting ready to close

With the weather having taken a turn for the worst, and the
temperatures in and around Burnley having dropped alarmingly,
it's the time when we could do with the windows well and truly
closed.

Football's window, the January transfer window, remains very
much open and with only three days to go after today it's
expected that, as is usually the case, there will be a lot of
activity as clubs make their final plans for the remainder of
the season.

Often it's said that January signings are overpriced and not
quite so successful as those made during the summer. Cast your
mind back to a year ago and the two biggest signings were those
of Fernando Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea and
Andy Carroll who moved from Newcastle United as Torres' replacement at
Anfield.

Torres had scored 17 goals for Liverpool in 2010. He'd already
scored 4 for them in January 2011 before his move. Since that
big £50m transfer he's netted just five times for Chelsea.
Likewise, Carroll's 2010 brought him 26 Newcastle goals. He's
scored a total of six for Liverpool since they spent 70% of the
Torres money on him.

Maybe then, Burnley are getting it just about right by not
involving themselves too much in the January window. Chairman
Barry Kilby has often said it is not the best time to do
business and if you look back we've been a reluctant player in
terms of new permanent players.

The first time we were restricted by the windows was in the
2005/06 season. There were no permanent signings in January
2006 and that was also the case in 2008 and 2009. The missing
year, 2007, saw three players come in; the return of Ade
Akinbiyi, Joey Gudjonsson and Steven Caldwell whilst the last
two years have been exceptional because of the changes in
manager.

Two years ago Brian Laws came in to replace Owen Coyle and last
year Eddie Howe was appointed with Laws having gone at the end
of December, less than a year after his appointment. In both
years there were two new permanent signings as the new managers
took their first steps in shaping the team.

Thankfully we don't have that upheaval this year and that has
allowed Burnley and Howe to have a much better planned January.
There have, at the time of writing, been two permanent signings
but neither are new players to us.

On the third day of the year we confirmed the signing of Kieran
Trippier on a three and a half year deal, this coming half way
through the player's season long loan from Manchester City.

That signing certainly met with the approval of the majority of
Burnley fans as did that of Ben Mee just two weeks later. Mee,
like Trippier, was on a season long loan from Manchester City
and he followed in his team mate's footsteps by signing a three
and a half year deal with the club.

Interestingly, Howe said that he is always looking at a
potential permanent signing when he brings a player in on loan.
Both have done well and Howe has got his men now long term.

The only other business has seen some young players go out on
loan and a couple of unwanted players having their contracts
terminated while Josh McQuoid has arrived on a three month loan
deal from Millwall to fill the gaps created by the injuries
to Martin Paterson and Junior Stanislas coupled with the loss
of Sam Vokes who's returned to Wolves.

Howe has hinted that will be it, but is it? Will there be
anything else? If there is to be we haven't much time. Tomorrow
is Sunday when business is unlikely to be done and Tuesday is
match day for the Championship and we've more important things
to be looking at as we prepare for a game at Nottingham Forest.

I'm sure he'd like to bring in more players, which manager
wouldn't? He said that we can't afford it, and also stressed
that we can't afford to lose anyone either. That, hopefully,
has dampened all the speculation regarding Jay Rodriguez. How
much longer Jay Rod will be a Burnley player we can only
speculate, but I'm sure we'll all be delighted if he's still
ours on Wednesday and I think he will be.

There has been so much talk about Jay recently. A number of
Premier League clubs have been linked with him and today Tyrone
Mears, a former team mate, has suggested he could eventually be
destined for a top four club.

If and when Jay Rod does leave the deal will definitely come
close to the club's transfer record, that of Steven Fletcher to
Wolves, if it doesn't beat it.

I also think Keith Treacy will still be here. Speculation
mounted last week when it was reported that he was at the Notts
County v Preston game with his manager. That was somewhat
twisted. Yes, both were at the game but not together. Howe was
with Jason Tindall.

That immediately prompted suggestions that Treacy was on his
way back to Deepdale with Adam Barton coming this way. Later
news recorded that Treacy could be set for a loan move to
Sheffield Wednesday.

It's a strange one. The Republic of Ireland international has
been in and out of the team in this, his first season at Turf
Moor. He's started 13 league games but his longest run in the
starting eleven is just five games. We've seen glimpses of what
he's capable of and right now, with Stanislas out, he should be
ensuring he gets in the team and stays in.

Howe has rubbished any talk of him leaving and said: “Keith
won’t be going anywhere. It’s important we reiterate our desire
to keep the whole squad together. Everyone has got a part to
play in the run-in.”

Even so, I still think there could be just a little bit of
business before the window closes on Tuesday night, and if so
it must surely centre on Derry City left back Danny Lafferty.

He's been with us this week and played in a behind closed doors
game at Wolves. He's a left back; it's a position Howe is keen
to strengthen so if he's impressed then maybe he will be our
last signing of this window.

Lafferty for Burnley - I'd better start collecting phone
numbers again!

See original here:
Window getting ready to close