Things will happen this week and I fancy it will involve Stewart Downing

The manager has had long enough and this is the week where things will happen. A goalkeeper is top of that list and I fancy we will get confirmation of who it is by this time next week, only because it is possibly the most important position we need to fill.

There will also be lots of talk this week about Stewart Downing. You see, I fancy Liverpool are interested but I think Liverpool want to get him on the cheap and the club are not going to play ball on that and they've probably told Liverpool the price, which was why there was some speculation that Downing might be handing in a transfer request.

But there is a story today that Arsenal will offer £20,000,000.00 for him and that, I'd guess, is very much around the asking price and that the player would be happy to move to London over Liverpool. I don't think he really cares where he goes now, I think he just wants out.

Why does he want out?

The worrying thing for me is that he appears so desperate to leave and the only thing I can get to in my little world is that he actually has some inside knowledge, which isn't beyond the realms of possibility and he knows the path we are about to take only too well.

But he does have two years left on his contract and we can afford to then name our price and see if anyone comes in for him. If they don't and the price we have named is fair, which I think £20mn is, then if he stays for another season, I'm sure he will give his all and I'm sure he will make an impression, but I'm also sure next summer he'll be gone for half the £20mn we want right now. I think it comes down to how desperately the other club wants him.

A busy week to come

So, that is just me setting us up for a busy week. There is little else happening at the moment, but I have a feeling we will start to get busy now, after all, the manager has had long enough and it is quite important one or three positions get filled.

I'm off for some Sunday lunch. I think I've deserved it this week.