Silly like never before

There's nothing like the worst start of a season since Churchill was Prime Minister to get transfer rumours rolling. Arsenal's winter Silly Season came earlier than I expected. This blog is now officially out of hibernation after six weeks.

I've compiled this autumn's Arsenal transfer rumours as well as I could here. It's the page to the right in the index on top of this page. I'll keep compiling until the end of the January 2012 transfer window. Please let me know if you see that I've missed something or someone, now or later.

There are some, but not many policy changes. As regular readers know, the aim of this blog isn't just the conversational pieces in the compilation itself. It's important for any Gooner to be aware of both the realistic rumours, as well as the pure fantasies designed either by greedy agents or websites and news media hungry for clicks and circulation.

For instance, I've now decided to include the "gossip" pages of serious media outlets. I myself wouldn't dream of quoting websites like caughtoffside.com, or papers like Metro, or radio stations like talkSport, on my own rumour page. Not only would it turn into a full time job instead of a pet project. These so-called sources don't have enough credibility even to be criticised for lack of journalistic standards. They simply have no pretense of either accuracy or accountability.

But others have, those we expect better from. The BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Mirror need to be kept accountable when they compile and publish bullsh*t without checking facts, then hide themselves behind quoting and linking to websites of less repute. The rumours will therefore appear in the rumour page with these publications named and shamed as primary sources themselves.

I can already see that this will make my job harder - there really are a lot of fairy tales out there.

I try to avoid double-linking stories, i.e. linking to both the Daily Mail and the Independent on a rumour reported in the same words and with no byline. More often than not, such stories are Press Association telegrams - which the papers sometimes quote as PA, sometimes not.

I will include, however, such like-worded stories if the publication in question publishes it under a staff member's own byline.

Well, these are probably details only the true nerds of my readership appreciate. There are some hundreds of you. I'm grateful for all feedback. Welcome back to Arsenal's Silly Season.