2 words that sum up Derby County’s January transfer window and why

It’s fair to say that January has been a pretty hectic month for Derby County and Wayne Rooney.

The winter window is always a busy period, as clubs scramble around for deals that can help the team improve for the remainder of the campaign.

For the Rams though, they have the added uncertainty of the future of the club, which meant all transfer talk seemed a lot less important than it normally does.

However, deals were done for players, including a deadline day departure for Luke Plange to Crystal Palace, although he has returned on loan. There were frustrations as Graeme Shinnie and Phil Jagielka left but Rooney managed to keep most of his squad despite a lot of speculation.

And, here we look at TWO words that sum up how January played out for Derby…

Exhausting

As mentioned, it’s been a relentless January for the Rams. It seemed as though every player in the squad was linked with a move away and the fans wouldn’t have known if the administrators were going to cash in on their best talents.

When you combine that with the worry about whether the club will survive, and the games the side are playing in a relegation battle, it’s fair to say it has been an exhausting month for all connected to the East Midlands outfit.

Of course, there are still bigger issues to worry about, but with the window shut Rooney knows what he is working with and can focus on the football.

Hopeful

Again, the priority is about securing Derby’s long-term future but for the short-term, you would say the end of the window has left Derby fans hopeful that a miraculously escape is possible.

They’re seven points from safety and the spirit of the group was evident as they battled back to draw with Birmingham.

Surviving after a 21-point deduction would be