Flicker to use Christmas wisely

Boss David Flitcroft admits Bury's run of festive fixtures is "critical" to how active he will be in the January transfer window.

The Shakers handed Flitcroft, formerly of Barnsley, the managerial reins on December 9 but, after just two games at the helm, the Shakers will spend the Christmas period in the Sky Bet League Two's bottom two. Reinforcements are expected to be funded by chairman Stewart Day this January and with three fixtures between now and January 1, Flitcroft has a good chance to assess the current squad on the pitch. "I think every game tells you a different story," he said. "Sometimes you can worry about a player in a certain position and then the week after you can start seeing small details where the player has made an improvement. I'll know more about this squad in (those) games. "This assessment stage is going to be key to how I recruit and what I do. We're looking intently. I've been videoing training, we'll look at that and I'm making sure I'm seeing everything I need to see. "The evaluation at this point is critical for players and staff. I'm running my eye over staff so that they can work to the standards that I want them to work at. Every facet is being analysed and evaluated and I've got to do because recruitment is everything in football." Once that quick trio of fixtures has been completed the Shakers, already out of the FA Cup, will have a free weekend which Flitcroft intends to spend at the England team's headquarters. He added: "We're planning on the Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday to go to St George's Park for three days. "It's a fantastic place, quite inspiring. I did a similar thing with the Barnsley players and it's incredible."