February came as the window closed and what we all thought had been a disappointing last day of transfer dealing as we hoped there might just be another new player.
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Another month without a win
Feature by Tony Scholes
Updated Sunday, 4th March 2007
That was it, we could concentrate on the football now, there wouldn't be any more transfer news, particularly as Dario G said he wouldn't be pursuing a move for John Spicer after the Clarets' midfielder failed to get back to him after the club's had agreed to a month's loan.
Off we went to London on the Saturday for the QPR game, and for some members of this site's message board, the West Yorkshire Luvvies, it was an early start on the Friday in readiness for their appearance on Soccer AM as the Fans of the Week.
They told us about Ade being too heavy, that Eric Djemba-Djemba's second yellow card at Derby was controversial but didn't do so well when it came to the Road to Wembley. They got one, and that's how many Burnley scored at Loftus Road, our first goal in seven league games coming from Chris McCann.
It was a disappointing day, we turned in a shocking second half performance as we went down 3-1, and the only positives were returns from injury for both Andy Gray and Steve Jones who were introduced as substitutes along with new signing Caldwell.
In the following week the club revealed that the Turf was a four sided ground again with the re-opening of the previously damaged cricket field stand. The Stoke fans had been in the Jimmy Mac Lower but with Sheffield Wednesday coming work was done in time.
As we prepared for the Owls to come over from Yorkshire one of our players made the journey the other way across the county border as Frank Sinclair joined Huddersfield on loan for the rest of the season. He went with glowing tributes from manager, players and fans alike and returned the compliment wishing us all the best for the rest of the season.
We'd been linked with Crewe's Jon Otsemobor but Steve Cotterill said there was nothing in it, but there was very much something in Chris Kirkland's latest injury, it forced Wigan to recall Mike Pollitt from his loan and that opened the door for a return for Danny Coyne.
The Sheffield Wednesday game saw our first home goal since RK Sunderland's visit in mid-December, we even took the lead with Wade Elliott's first goal of the season. But it didn't last long and Wednesday scored a soft equaliser and took a point home.
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Still looking for that first win since November he had the unenviable task of an away game against Wolves coming up. I know we won there last year but it is hardly the fixture we look forward to when in need of a win.
As we were building up to the game there was some disappointing news from the other side of the pond with Danny Karbassiyoon having to retire from the game because of injury. We never really got to see Danny play because of his injuries and they proved to be more serious than any of us could have imagined.
We scored at Wolves, it was McCann again, we had more shouts for a penalty turned down, and Caldwell hit the bar in the closing minutes. Even so it all added up to another defeat and for many fans panic was beginning to set in.
Leicester at home was billed as a must win game by some, lose it and we're down said others. We did lose it, incredibly after dominating the game we lost it to the most ridiculous of own goals, but down we weren't and the search for that win continued.
Wayne Thomas was back in the side for this game but he didn't lead the team out. Caldwell had been given that responsibility in Thomas' absence but he kept the armband and after the game Steve Cotterill confirmed he was the new club captain.
One last chance for a win in the month and of all places we had to travel to the less than salubrious surroundings of Layer Road, Colchester where the home side have had little go against them this season.
We'd two good penalty shouts, not as though it is worth bothering now we just don't get them. But they didn't trouble us too much and we came away with a point from a goalless draw although had both full backs Wayne Thomas and Chris McCann stretchered off.
So, a whole month without a win, just the same as December and just the same as January. Surely we won't be saying the same come the end of March, a month that will see us play just four times.
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