Sam is sending out the unmistakable signal that solidity and firmness of will are his first priorities this summer and romance must take a back seat. The signings of Viduka and Barton are the heavy undercoat brushstrokes of his masterpiece. Big swathes of heavy mottled earthy colours applied first, the blue sky will have to wait.

“Joey Barton” could easily have been the title of an album by those old skool mercurial genuises Morrissey or perhaps Jarvis and Pulp in their pomp. Barton so ridiculously flawed with a working class edginess also carries the karmic reverse trait of a need to win - to impose - to leave a mark. So far Barton has been the signature signing, a move whose business sense and audacity has triggered a new appraisal of Mr Allardyce’s no nonsense approach. Make no mistake, this is a big move and statement of intent from our manager, it would be a mistake to read it as a gamble. It is a line in the sand.

Recently I have lost a lot of respect for Mourinho, what with his clunky defence based safety football (primarily because he has the men to play otherwise), then the episode with the hound and then losing to the even clunkier, juddering Anfield machinery. Compact and efficent sides - highly competitive yet producing on the whole poor football. Mourinho in his off the field conflicts and chess master like self obsession has however done us one favour : Ben Haim will sign for us next week. This third venture into the market is the last piece of this phase. Adding the possibilities of a new spine to our side along with Barton and Viduka. It is at this point I realise one’s thoughts wander to the on/off talk of Wes Brown. I’ll be honest no one can say either way, but I would be surprised if Mr Ferguson hasn’t been asked the question by fax.

Tottenham Hotspur are it seems going ahead with Babel someone Roeder ran his eye over last year, a player who would have succeeded for us and will at ‘The Lane’. This type of pacey highly mobile forward is vital if your side is going to have alternatives in the second and third phases of attack, the meaning of which Quiroz has imprinted on Fergie and has ultimately delivered them the title. When we talk of rotating mobile forward, Anelka is second only in the Premier League to Henry and Drogba and it is not beyond the bounds of imagination that Sam has spoken to the player who’s overtures to Manchester United would not have gone unnoticed.

Anelka and his brothers coming from a tough Parisienne neighbourhood have always had an eye on the chequebook this cannot be denied. I needen’t remind the connessiers amongst us that he was considered at the French academy a better player than Henry and would that be life was simple it would have turned out so.
Destiny as is its nature has surprised many of us with recent events and the beginnings of wholesale changes in the outlook of our club. Anelka too must re-make his friendship with destiny and erase his ghost echo. Let it be so.

Keep singing in the rain.

Parkenstien.