West Ham United chief Karren Brady admits they're trying to do business as soon as they can in the January market.

Brady wrote in The Sun: "Buy early, buy smart is our philosophy for the transfer window.

"Having got Joe Cole and Marouane Chamakh, we try for a defender but our bid is rejected.

"I remember at Birmingham we had to stand by, horrified, as we slid to the Championship after ruling out shopping in January 2006. David Sullivan and David Gold vowed then they would never again be caught with their shorts down."