For one reason and another I've not bene online much recently but it's been pretty hard to avoid what's been going on through the stream of texts and emails that have come through.

So far in the last week, the following has happened according to what I have been told

• Michael Laudrup has resigned on four seperate occasions
• He has held emergency talks with the Chairman over his future
• He isn't talking to the Chairman at all and hasn't since Wembley
• He hasn't spoken to the Chairman since we lost to Fulham on the last day of the season
• He is worried that his transfer targets have not been secured

Then I realised it was only June and it was less than three weeks since last season finished.

Last night it got worse because it wasn't just the Evening Post that was printing the stories - Sky Sports News were reporting it as well from their 'sources' in Swansea which adds weight to the story despite the fact that the 'sources' could be the same point of reference.   But it's Sky sports and therefore - much like twitter - it must be true.

I'm a great believer in there is never any smoke without at least a little bit of fire (even in the days of electronic cigarettes) so it's natural to believe that not all is perfect behind the scenes.

Looking in from the outside I have to say I am increasingly worried by the noises being made by the agent of our manager.  What we don't know is whether he is making these noises with the blessing of the manager or is his frustration borne more by the fact that maybe some of the players we are hesitant over signing are on his books?   Don't know the answer but it is something that has gone through my mind.

I then look at the business model of the club.  I guess I am slightly lucky here as I probably have a bigger insight into the club workings than many and because of that I will always back a cautinary approach when it is appropriate to do so.   It is natural again for the manager to want to be backed fully in the transfer market but we have been lauded in the past for the way we have run the club in a prudent fashion so that shouldn't mean we just break the bank to meet the demands of a manager and his agent.

That isn't to say that we should just look always for the cheap option but we look back last season and we spent well and wisely and there is NOTHING to suggest this season that we won't do the same.  I do question whether we are quite in the position yet to be spending £10m+ on a single player an genuinely don't know the answer.   Part of me says that yes we probably are but the other part will tell me that at that price the player has to be 100% nailed on to be the right player for us so again I understand an excercising of caution.

What gets me though is that Michael Laudrup knows the score on how we operate.  No manager we employ is kept in the dark and delivered false promises on what they can spend.  They understand our style of play, they understand our business model and they understand our transfer policies.    These won't have changed in the last 2/3 months so that only leads me to think that something else is underlying these current stories.

It is interesting to see that the Chairman and the club have elected to keep quiet over the past week as these stories have surfaced and if I read the lines 'The Evening Post understands...' once more then I'm not sure whether I'll laugh, cry or bang my head repeatedly against the desk.

What we do know is that for now Michael Laudrup is our manager and we still have our plans for next season.   That bit won't change until either party says so.  My personal viewpoint is that I would like him to still be here in August as I would love to see him lead us into Europe and it's getting a bit boring changing managers every summer - that normally leads to us proving all the doubters wrong and getting stronger.

However, if it is at the stage where the reports are right and we are almost being held to ransom then I'm sorry but the club's successful policy should go above the demands of one (or two) people.  If it did come down to Michael leaving then it would be a thank you for what you have achieved in such a short time but we will move on and we wouldn't (in my view) be short of options to take over the hotseat.

The one thing though that I do know is that it has been a long summer already and this has still got some mileage left in it just yet.   There will be more headlines, more sources leading to forum posts and speculation of more resignations within the mangers chair.   We have to ride that bit out and see what happens but roll on August, I'm missing the football already!

Photo: Action Images

leecole1664 added 09:36 - Jun 6 when is the final prediction league going to be posted ??
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