For. . . oooh . . . three years now we've been waiting for the chance to say: `so-and-so moved to such-and-such a club last week, in a transfer we predicted months ago'. Da na: Lee Carsley moved to Coventry last week in a transfer we forecast back in September. True, we also said he was Evert-on-bound but it would be churlish of you to bring that up.

So, we're feeling confident, nay, bullish now. So, less of your chuckling when we tell you that Steve Staunton will re-join Aston Villa any day soon and Alan Quinn (Sheffield Wednesday) and Mark Kennedy (Manchester City) are on the verge of joining George Graham's White Hart Lane revolution (stop laughing at the back). And when we inform you that Robbie Keane will sign up for Leeds (Spurs, Chelsea or Arsenal) in the next week or two scoff at internet site Midas Soccer and not us.

As for the `John Hartson to Celtic' and `Pavel Nedved to Manchester United' rumours we'll only claim them as our own if they bear fruit. Then there's the `Ginola on his way to West Ham' yarn . . . as 'Arry Redknapp put it himself, "we'd need one ball for Ginola, one for Paolo Di Canio and another for the rest of the team". Too true.