This month is crucial for Dundee boss James McPake and his team’s Premiership hopes.
The Dens gaffer knows it, too, describing the winter window as ‘vital’ just a couple of weeks ago.
With that kind of talk, Dundee fans would be forgiven for thinking there would be a flurry of early transfer dealings at the start of the window.
We are, though, only five days into January.
There is plenty of time for things to heat up at Dens Park.
I have no problem with the Dark Blues taking their time either – as long as they get the right players in the building come the end of the month.
Long-term hopes
We all know how difficult it can be to get players in at this time of the season, it’s pretty much a trope for every analysis piece going.
More often than not players coming in will be ones that are unhappy elsewhere or haven’t been playing.
The tricky thing for Dundee, too, is their current league position.
Manager McPake has made clear since he took the reins at Dens that he preferred to take the long-term view on transfers.
Last year he made the most of the pre-contract system by signing Paul McMullan and then getting him in before the window shut.
And McPake has said that’s a market he’s looking at once more this year.
Short-term danger
However, with Dundee in a relegation battle, it’s pretty difficult to get Premiership-quality players to sign a deal to join the summer with the risk of there being Championship football next season.
Right now, he’s more likely to be forced into short-term thinking to keep the club up.
That can be dangerous if not done carefully – Dundee don’t have to look too far back to realise they’ve been burnt before.
McPake was obviously in the youth setup while Jim McIntyre brought in a whole new team in January.
He saw first hand what can happen so lessons should have been learned from that disaster.
The problem is getting good quality players in isn’t as simple as just heading down the shops.
It may take some time.
McPake
McPake, though, has a record of convincing good players to join him at Dens.
The likes of Charlie Adam, Graham Dorrans, Jason Cummings and Leigh Griffiths tell you that, all Scotland internationals.
Not all of them have worked out brilliantly, it must be said.
But the Dens boss will back himself to bring in the kind of quality to improve his side.
He’ll be finding out how more difficult it is to convince good players to join a relegation battle as opposed to a promotion chase, though.
Crucial
It is crucial for McPake to prove he can keep a club like Dundee in the top flight.
He also still has to convince a lot of the club’s fans that he is the right man to lead them.
A huge part of achieving both of those aims will come from seeds sown this month.
Getting new players in is key.
Having the patience to make sure they are the right players could be even more important.
