SATURDAY: Wanderers clinched four deals as the January sales ended with a day of frantic activity, false alarms and hard bargaining.

With just half an hour to go to the midnight deadline, Michael Ricketts signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Middlesbrough, wrapping up a deal worth a minimum £3.5 million to Wanderers. Sam Allardyce swiftly rushed the double deal that saw the Nantes striker Pierre-Yves Andre and Lyon centre-back Florent Laville join the Reebok ranks on loan for the rest of the season.

MONDAY

YOURI Djorkaeff, who grabbed his sixth goal of the season in the crucial 4-2 win over Birmingham enthused: "Three of the front line have scored and that's fantastic for them and for us. Perhaps the thought of two strikers coming in behind them has revved them up a little bit more. But that's the quality finishing we need and, if we can keep that up, we won't have any problems staying in the Premiership."

TUESDAY

MICHAEL Ricketts insisted he was now with a "far bigger club" following his £3.5million move from Bolton to Middlesbrough. The former Wanderers' striker said the transfer, which went through minutes before the transfer window closed, had come at an important stage of his career. In what has been interpreted by some as a swipe at Wanderers, Ricketts added: "I would not say it was difficult to motivate myself at Bolton. But I need to improve my game and, hopefully, I will at Middlesbrough."

WEDNESDAY

HENRIK Pedersen threw down the gauntlet to the two new hit-men Sam Allardyce has drafted into his survival squad. The dashing Dane, who has played in all but four of Wanderers' Premiershp games this season, is ready to meet the challenge from Ballesta and Andre. Pedersen said: "The club has to do everything to stay up and bringing new players in always helps."

THURSDAY

WANDERERS will head for the desert next week to escape the cold snap. Sam Allardyce aims to use the six-day stay at a training camp in Dubai to get his players warmed up for their big survival push. With no game for a fortnight after today's trip to West Brom and the Reebok derby duel with Manchester United on February 22, the Gulf trip has been arranged to give the players a break from their regular routine and help the three deadline-day signings get to know their new team-mates.

FRIDAY

WANDERERS' trio of new signings staked their claims for places in today's big relegation showdown with West Brom. Spaniard Ballesta and French duo Andre and Laville, came through their first competitive action in the reserves the previous night to put their names in the frame for The Hawthorns clash.