Well, silly season really has gotten into full flow this week.  Plenty of pre-renewal speculation, nothing of any actual substance or fact materialising as yet and so we are left to pick through the he said she said rumours and counter rumours that have been bandied about in the media. You couldn't make some of them up, if it wasn't for the possibility that many of them are fictional for the most part that already is!

All these rumours are unsettling the squad, according to Andy O'Brien who is now looking for a new roommate.  (Article)  Pity he hasn't joined him at Villa for my money.  Anyway that aside of course the squad will be unsettled.  And so they bloody should be!  Not many of them exactly covered themselves in glory last season did they?  And those underachievers should well ask themselves "have I done enough to justify my inclusion in the first team next year?" What do we get instead?  Comments like this attributed to Bramble.  (Article) (Article) and (Article)  Haven't any of them learned.  Keep it shut, do the job you are asked to on the pitch and play to the best you can and that should see you in the team week in week out.  You don't tend to get "play me or I'm off" from Chelsea or Man U players very often do you?  Certainly not as much as our lot who have won precisely knack all.   I look at William Gallas as the prime example.  Everyone knows he's not a left back.  His manager has asked him to do a job for him there for a lot of this season.  He's not been happy about it and he's made his feelings known but then got on and done the job and done it reasonably well.  He certainly hasn't threatened to bugger off at the drop of the hat every five minutes or ended up on loan in Scotland after a war of words with his manager, for example, has he?  No he did as he was asked, as a professional and did it so well it gave Chelsea the luxury to pass off Babayaro to us.  That's the difference between good players and good professionals I suppose.  Sermon ends.

Anyway so who has been rumoured to be coming in this week? (Article)  Centre back Daniel Van Buyten, linked with us a couple of years back, is the main candidate.  (Article)  According to the man himself he's already had talks with us and only a fee is to be agreed.  (Article)  and (Article) Mind you this did piss his chairman off a little.  (Article)  All his leaves me thinking two things!  Firstly, he hardly set the Premiership alight when he was on loan at Man City and secondly do we really need another blabbermouth who goes running to the press when he's not happy?  Hmmm.  Next on our fantasy shopping list was Marseilles defender Habib Beye.  (Article)  Remember him?  He was the big mouth who went shouting about what he'd do to Shearer when we played them in the UEFA Cup a couple of seasons back.  Tit.  Definitely an agent on the stir IMHO.

So who next on the transfer randomiser?  Of course, Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun! (Article)  Who else?  Personally I'd like us to get him just because I'd like to hear what song the terrace wags would come up with for him.  "Yossi's giants" springs to mind.  Signed on the recommendation of Dean Saunders if he comes apparently.  (Article)  Lets hope his are better than Mick Wadsworth's were.  Can't be much worse, I suppose.  Surely there isn't another Fumaca out there waiting to happen?

Onwards through the week we are, inevitably I suppose, linked again with Scott Parker.  (Article) and (Article)  We could do worse but we have to keep him fit.  And that's like asking a recovering alcoholic if he fancies a pint if our medical staff are anything to go by.  Another midfielder that repeatedly popped up this week as a possible target was Emre at Inter Milan.  (Article) and (Article) I suspect of all the possibilities this is the one to watch.  Don't ask me why, it's just a hunch.  Insert your own Quasimodo joke here if you like.

And so to those outward bound.  Viana (Article) and Robert's (Article) and (Article) lingering demises at the club continue to rumble away in the background.  New Celtic boss Gordon Strachan is determined to keep Bellamy there.  (Article)  Wages and Bellamy's ego are going to be a problem (Article) but then again weren't they always?  Fatrick Kluivert meanwhile has somehow convinced Valencia that he is worth a 3-year deal.  (Article)  Good luck, you'll need it.  To Valencia that is!  At least it's paella and not pies that you'll find in abundance there.  Remaining speculative outgoings included Bowyer back to West Ham (Article) and (Article) Darren Ambrose to Charlton (Article) and more worryingly both JJ (Article) (Article) and Given (Article) (Article) remain linked with moves away from SJP.  At least news today that Van der Sar looks set to go to Man U will quieten some of those rumblings.  Only Arsenal looking for a keeper then!  Ho Hum!

So what else has caught my eye this week?  The Evening Chronicle's fans survey made for some interesting reading.  (Article)  Apparently 2% of respondents say the title is a realistic expectation next season!  Would those have been the ones filled in, in violet crayon then?  Some people, I really do wonder.  Meanwhile we await the CPS report on what has become known simply as "Bowyer and Dyer" (Article) and (Article).  Apparently the ref has been "gagged".  (Article)  Gagged, had bamboo inserted under his toenails and his knackas electrified with any luck.  Interesting that this week should also coincide with Souness introducing a "rule book" on player conduct.  (Article)  Horse, stable door, bolted?  As long one K Dyer isn't exempt from it then that's fine by me.

NM