West Ham boss Glenn Roeder believes clubs such as Liverpool deliberately leak their interest in certain players to the press to make them aware that they are interested in signing them.
That of course is accurate and my two year old son Robbie could have told you that himself this morning. You don't need a degree to work out that clubs use the media as much as they want to benefit themselves and that they are the biggest hypocrites around as they are the first to moan when the media stir things up. I mean, West Ham have never leaked anything to the press or unsettled any player have they? Ask Bobby Robson which London club upset him recently when they made an illegal approach for one of his players who is yet to sign a proper deal at St. James' Park - if you think ze Germans were bad with their propaganda start examining the lies that come from English Premiership clubs!
Liverpool are interested in signing West Ham's Michael Carrick and if you frequently check our transfer speculation page, you'll see he's been on there all season. No 'Carrick for Liverpool' headlines required with this one, his name has just sat there patiently.
So what has Roeder got to say about the Carrick to Liverpool speculation?
"Unfortunately it is the way the big clubs often conduct their business, by dropping little hints in the papers, and really it is a subtle way of letting players know they are interested," said the West Ham boss.
"But I don't find it very subtle. Clubs will go to great lengths to try and unsettle your players, but all of ours, and especially those three young ones, are very happy in their working environment here at West Ham.
"They often come in for a chat, and I would know if the situation was otherwise.
"It seems to be Michael's turn this week with speculation about Arsenal, Newcastle, and Liverpool all showing an interest. It is speculation that we as a club could do without, and I could certainly do without it myself.
"Michael, like all the young players, is on a long contract, he is very much part of my plans for the next three or four years, and he has never shown any desire to want to leave us."