Tickle Tackle: Sign Of The Times
Tuesday, 5th Jan 2010 21:00 by Steve Tickle

First of all let me wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year. Let's hope that 2010 is a more successful and enjoyable year than recent ones have been for Rams fans.

2010 starts of course with the opening of the January transfer window. I'm not a fan of transfer windows, I think they're ill thought out and only serve to favour the big clubs (maybe that's not a coincidence) but we're stuck with them and they're crucial to how a club can grow and progress.

This month is certainly crucial to the Rams and I personally feel that at the end of the month, it will have proved to be a major signpost of the club's (read board's) intentions. We'll know from who's come in and who's departed what the club's short term intentions are.

We can pretty much guarantee that those of our squad sought after by other clubs will be those players we don't want to leave but I'm sure it's inevitable that some of them will indeed leave. Beyond that though, I think who is brought in as replacements and on what type of contract will tell me much more.

No-one needs it pointing out to them that you can't build a successful club around loan signings. We MUST bring in players on proper long term contracts and in my opinion, we must try to bring in someone who can add a bit of flair.

It's OK having a squad full of hard workers but surely, hard work is a prerequisite? We need a couple of people who can turn a game (last player like that we had was Claude Davis who unfortunately, more often than not turned it in the opposition's favour).

I don't care who they are, whether I've heard of them or not or if they're British or foreign, somehow, Nigel has to try to add that kind of player to our squad. Easier said than done of course but the board has to be seen to back him in such a quest.

February will certainly show us which way the club is heading.

Catch you soon.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

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