IT was no less an authority than Sir Alex Ferguson who famously poured scorn on the idea of recruiting reinforcements at this time of the year.

“The January transfer market has never been the best market and that has proved itself over the years,” was how Ferguson summed up the frenzied and over-priced trolley dash that many Premier League clubs embark on in an attempt to either chase silverware or beat the drop.

History suggests he had a valid point.

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Fernando Torres was potent and prolific during his spell on Merseyside, yet that all turned to dust after his £50m move to Chelsea.

His replacement, Andy Carroll, had been similarly prolific at St James’ Park but despite commanding a £35m fee, he struggled to establish himself at Anfield.

As if to underline the point that the desperation isn’t confined to top-end outfits, transfer window poster boy Harry Redknapp, splurged £12.5m of Queens Park Rangers’ money in bringing Christopher Samba and his alleged £100k a week pay packet to Loftus Road from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in an attempt to bolster his defence and stay in the Premier League.

That turned out to be an expensive mistake, with the Hoops still dropping into the Championship.

The point here is that it’s worth bearing in mind these case histories the next time someone is holding the Burnley board to account for a perceived lack of ambition when it comes to recruitment.

For what it’s worth, my thoughts are that the squad would benefit from a couple of central midfielders and a wide player with genuine pace and creativity.

Yet getting any signing over the line is a long and drawn-out process and if the players aren’t available – or are only available at the wrong kind of price for a club like Burnley – then the board are right not to throw silly money at it.

After all, it’s not as if those teams around us are bringing in star names right, left and centre.

In Carles Gil, Villa have signed an unproven player.

QPR and Crystal Palace have brought in misfiring forwards in the shape of Mauro Zarate and Yaya Sanogo, while Sunderland seem happy to pay 32-year-old Jermain Defoe £70k a week for the next three-and-a-half years despite him not having played top flight football for 18 months.

Time will tell if Burnley get it right this window.

But three points at the Stadium of Light this Saturday would be as big a boost as any new signing.