CRISIS SCHMISIS

Looks like the transfer market for those of us lower down the money tree could be spluttering into life. Not that anything concrete is happening of course, it just seems to me that we're putting more irons into fires.

The best bit of news this week is... all of it! The fact that Harry is starting to throw us a bone about what's happening is coming as a welcome relief to me as the sheer volume of spurious reporting was starting to drive me insane. Beckham - forget about it, Hangeland, forget about it, Young, forget about it. Vieira, gone cold, Crouch, to expensive, Huntelaar, silly wages. I know Harry isn't exactly renowned for being Honest Joe when chatting to the press, but even just confirming we have made enquiries is good enough for me at the moment. Anyway, surely he's only saying what we all thought about these names, and if it results in the press being more imaginative then I'm all for that.

It seems as though the goal posts have moved a little. All that talk of Downing and Young has dissolved, and sports journo's up and down the country have suddenly run out of left wingers to link to us. I don't even think we need one - stick that in your pipe and smoke it! Modders is the current apple of our eyes and Bale and O'Hara are certainly competent enough to do a job there if need be. Maybe we might also get a look at Rose at some point, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

I'm not really buying all this "defensive crisis" nonsense either. King might not have trained, but I was under the impression that he hasn't for ages. When he plays he's still immense so you can expect his to be the first name on the teamsheet against Liverpool. Woody is going to have his groin "looked at" - which doesn't sound overly serious and, although Dawson is out, Corluka is fine and Chimbo is capable. Should we need to break glass in case of emergency we have the boy Dervitte and Big Tommy Huddlestone - a player I actually prefer at CB.

Can anyone explain to me how we're going to sell Spurs as a proposition to a world class CB with that lot potentially all fit by September?

Bent is breaking his balls to be the big fish at Sunderland, and my ongoing suspicion is that the deal is done. The only hold up is probably that Levy doesn't want to risk a repeat of his "sell all our strikers" cock up and will wait until we get someone nailed on before contracts are exchanged.

Crouch (pictured)? Huntelaar? Yes either will do. I can see Defoe and Keane jumping for joy if the Beanpole arrives. Keano thrives on the kind of flick ons and sneaky through balls that Crouchy delivers on a regular basis, and a workable partnership with JD is a historical fact. You know what, I wouldn't really be gutted if we get neither and sell Bent. I liked what I saw of Obika and as 4th choice then it's not too risky.

Huntelaar might be good, truth be told I've only really seen his YouTube montage, and everyone looks world class on those. My only reservation on this one is that 12 months from now we'll all be getting extremely angry with Man City/Chelsea/Man U for waving £30m in our faces. Huntelaar will be coming for the money and the platform, and I don't think that helps us.

All is oddly quiet in terms of holding midfielders, which is strange as by my calculations it's the only position we absolutely positively have to recruit for. Poulsen, 29, Danish international, Juve reject, £5m? What are we waiting for?

Anyway, that's my take on this week's goings on. I'm off to brave the thunder and make my way to Wembley for the Barca game.

How I'd love to be saying that in May instead of July.