THE January sales can't come soon enough for Burnley.

Injuries and suspensions have prompted a midfield and defensive crisis and really highlighted how small our squad is.

I've been saying for about a year that we need big investment in the playing side.

If we are really serious about going up this season, we've got to spend some money, because with our depleted squad any ambition is going to be fruitless.

It's okay wheeling and dealing but, for me, the transfer record's a million and it's got to be smashed.

The manager's done well, and I like the ideas that he's come with.

He's had an unbelievable start but things are just starting to hit home now.

Wins at Watford, Charlton and Wolves were great results, but they mask over the areas of concern, and the biggest one is the home form.

It's amazing really how our away form's been so good but our home form hasn't.

The stats for the last 12 months at Turf Moor don't make good reading, and there has been talk of players feeling the pressure.

But the more successful a team becomes, the more pressure they are going to be under.

And as far as I'm concerned, they have enough experienced professionals in the squad to be able to cope with playing in front of 10,000 or so every week.

For Celtic's home games, there are 68,000. Now that's pressure!

But it's hard to explain what has gone wrong at home.

The way the ground is set out isn't ideal.

Queens Park Rangers didn't bring many, and having lots of empty seats behind one of the goals isn't going going to make for a virbrant atmosphere.

But I think the players have to accept that the onus is on them to create the atmosphere.

Against QPR we had 14 corners in the second half, Wade Elliott is really flourishing on the right wing and put some great balls into the box.

I scored a hat-trick from my seat! But we just couldn't win.

Andy Gray has scored 13 goals already this season, and before Christmas you're delighted with that as a striker.

But in some of the home games it's as if he's gone missing.

But in this league this season, it's been proved that it doesn't matter if you're playing Preston, who were bottom of the league, or Watford away, anyone can beat anyone because it's so open.

I know, as a player, once you get into a bad run of any sort, it does begin to get into your head.

But at the end of the day, you've just got to get on with it and take the criticism just as you would the plaudits.

That's part of your job.