In last week’s article I made some comments on the Rams’ January additions and subtractions through transfers, loans and injuries.

I also made the point that with the article being published several days before the window was due to close last Monday, we would very likely see some more signings before the window closed.

So Thursday came and went without any activity; so did Friday and most of Monday. It was beginning to look as though we would see nothing more this season, unless the Rams were to bring someone in on loan when the loan window reopens next Monday.

I could already picture the headline for this article; ‘Rams January Window Closes — With A Shrug’. But then, late on Monday came the news we were looking as the Rams brought in Tom Ince from Hull and Jesse Lingard from Manchester United; both on loan for the rest of the season.

These two signings put the rest of the season in quite a different light with both players described as midfielders, both players can play wide, are goal scorers and both have the ability to become very significant additions to the Rams’ squad.

Both Ince and Lingard are of an age where they need first team football, and need to show that they can be consistently successful if they are to get their careers on the right track.

Ince is much the better known of the two. Most of his success came during a three year spell with Blackpool, where he was an exciting attacking player and prolific goal scorer. He moved to Hull following the end of last season, and started this season in the first team.

In October, he was rather strangely loaned to Nottingham Forest, but was back with Hull in December. Ince made a further number of appearances for Hull, one as recently as 31st January, before joining the Rams.

Opinion from the Hull message board posters seems to be that they should hold on to him and give him a chance to make his pace work for them. Hull are certainly struggling at the moment as they reside near the bottom of the Prem after a run of results that would even cause a Forest fan to wince.

Maybe they think that Ince is not one of the players to lead them out of trouble. Having just turned 23, Ince needs to show that his performances at Blackpool can be maintained, and that he can be consistently effective in a better team. He will certainly get the chance to do that with the Rams.

Of the two signings, Lingard is perhaps the more intriguing. Most of us first heard of him in September, 2013 when he scored all four against Sheffield Wednesday in the first game of his loan spell with Birmingham.

Since then, things have been quieter for him, but his spell with Birmingham, and another loan spell with Brighton last season seem to have shown that he can be an effective attacking player at this level.

Lingard even managed a start in United’s first match of this season, being subbed early in a home defeat against Swansea.

At 22 years of age, Lingard is another player who really needs to be getting regular first team football before he is too much older.

Given that the Rams are down to two wide players - Jamie Ward and Simon Dawkins - with the return of Ibe to Liverpool and the injury to Johnny Russell, it will be interesting to see where the two new players will fit in.

They both look likely to see quite a bit of action for the Rams this season: my guess would be that Ward and Ince will start against Bolton on Saturday.

Looking forward to the weekend, it looks as though Bolton have become a much better team since the arrival of Neil Lennon in October, but are still some way short of being formidable, especially away from home they are particularly poor.

This is one more of those matches the Rams will be expected to win, and must win if we are to maintain our place among the four clubs that look to be starting to break away from the pack in the Championship.

A heavy win would do very nicely, especially one featuring strong contributions from both Ince and Lingard.

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