Weekend Papers

Newspapers always run the risk of saying something stupid and it coming back to haunt them. Like when we had a new manager on the way, for example, and so many of them insisted it would be Gordon Strachan or Brian Little. The problem with newspapers is that their mistakes stay around, there's no way to change them. That's the joy of the internet - when I did a scathing article saying how Nigel Quashie would never move to Southampton, I just took it offline a week later when he, um, did.

So it comes as no surprise that the papers are trying to cover their back over potential transfer news.

Take Peter Lovenkrands. After talk of a £250-500,000 deal earlier in the week, the Scottish papers are now reporting we're set to sign him for £750,000. The deal is all but done but because the transfer window is shut we can't "officially" sign him. But according to another couple of Scottish papers, he's actually going to stay in Glasgow for another season and then leave on a free transfer next summer.

Andy O'Brien is almost definitely a Portsmouth player according to some of those precious "red top" rags, some of whom are owned by dear old Rupert Murdoch. But Sky Sports News, also owned by dear old Rupert Murdoch, reckons that he's going to Wigan. If the newly promoted Latics DID bid for him I reckon he'd rather go there; doesn't have to move all the way down south, probably gets paid more, he'd be first choice centre back there rather than a squad player here. But considering how in one breath he's here and in another there, I can only presume they're going to cut him in half so he can fufill both his contractual agreements.

And finally the Laurent Robert saga. I have absolutely no doubt that we won't sign him and that his agent is just using us and a potential move here to drum up a bigger move elsewhere and more money for himself, not to mention higher wages for Laurent. According to The Sun he was talking to us on Thursday and Friday, according to L'Equipe he was talking to Toulouse on Thursday and Friday and he turned them down - Toulouse, out of interest, who we are now playing in pre-season rather than Monaco. Alain Perrin has admitted that there has "been contact" for both O'Brien and Robert, but clearly as if by magic they have both been in many places at once.

It's a bit like Ian Harte who was in talks at Southampton at the end of last week at the same time as being training with the Republic of Ireland squad a few hundred miles away. You just know this sort of wonderful journalism is going to run and run and run and run and run...