The Welshman has started less league games than John O’Shea

Sir Alex Ferguson, Alan Hansen and Robbie Savage have all taken turns this week to talk up Ryan Giggs as the most deserving winner of the PFA Player of the Year but The Spoiler does not believe that he should win it this season.

The Welsh midfielder is arguably the greatest footballer in the Premier League’s history and probably deserves some kind of award recognising his overall contribution to English football but it wouldn’t be right for someone who has started just nine of Manchester United’s 24 league games (37.5%) to date this season to be crowned the year’s standout performer.

Fulham boss joins The Spoiler’s campaign

After we lambasted Wayne Rooney and Joey Barton’s unnecessary badge kissing this week, Fulham gaffer Roy Hodgson has waded in on the subject, banning Andy Johnson from smooching his crest when he visits his old stomping ground tomorrow:

“I’m not a great fan of badge kissing. We’re mercenaries in football, there’s no question of that.

“The days of badge kissing at Fulham died with the likes of Johnny Haynes and Jimmy Hill. I’m surprised if fans want to see it.

“They’re not stupid, they know that players come and go and change clubs.

“They also know that when a player changes clubs he gives his 100% allegiance all of the time he’s playing for them.

“I expect every player Fulham to have nothing but the club in his head. He doesn’t need to kiss the badge to show me that.”

In an age where passionate loyalties can literally change overnight if the right amount of money is exchanged [cough, Harry Redknapp, splutter] it is truly refreshing to hear someone in the game speak so honestly about its mercenary nature. Well done, Roy.

[Team Talk]

Today’s gossip, rumours and damned lies

Yesterday, David Villa was supposed to be ushered into White Hart Lane for a cool £32 million, but today all the talk is about Dean Ashton and how they won’t pay West Ham’s £18 million asking price (quite right, too). Fear not though, Spurs fans, Juande Ramos has now decided Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan is the right man for the job, according to the journos fishing for a story experts at The Mirror…

Louis Saha to West Ham
The Irons are another side actively trying to bring in another striker, but the Daily Mail reports that they want to wait until the Frenchman’s knee injury clears up before making an offer. Perhaps they don’t want any outside help in their bid to retain the Physio Room Injury League title.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Saha may prefer the ex-United haven at Sunderland, while

Today’s gossip, rumours and damned lies

Arsene Wenger has idly watched Liverpool waste all summer trying to sign Gareth Barry, safe in the knowledge that the second they do, he can swoop to sign Alonso for £2 million less. Quite why Benitez is making such a fuss swapping a player who is virtually the same age, value and position as his Jason Bateman look-alike is a mystery, but at the moment it looks as though the Frenchman will have the last laugh.

Dean Ashton to Newcastle
Last month Aiden McGeady was supposedly destined for a move to Tyneside just days after signing a long-term deal with Celtic and now it’s being reported that West Ham are desperate to get rid of Ashton a month after giving him to a big-money five-year deal.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Nonsense

Andy Johnson to Fulham
Roy Hodgson proved that he’s a wily old fox by attempting to slice £4 million off the striker’s transfer fee

Today’s gossip, rumours and damned lies…

The transfer market today may be quieter than the Joey Barton fan mail hot line, but that hasn’t stopped some of the UK’s finest print journalists doing their thang. Let’s kick off today’s speculation with news of everybody’s favourite badly-coiffed Frenchman…

Djibril Cisse to Manchester City or West Ham
Without even factoring wages into the equation, Liverpool made an £8 million loss on Cisse, for which they splashed out over £600,000 for every league goal he scored. Marseille have given the clubs ten days to bid for the player, time which would be better spent running as far away as possible.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Cisse has made no secret of the fact he would like to return

The Frank Lampard saga latest
Remember how we all applauded Chelsea for applying logic and refusing to cave in to Lampard’s demands for a five-year contract? Well it appears that whoever is making the decisions at Stamford Bridge has changed their mind and a five-year deal is now on the table.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Seems like he will stay now. Ronaldo and Barry could learn from Lampard’s handling of the issue

Andy Johnson to Fulham
The Everton striker and occasional England

Today’s gossip, rumours and damned lies

Alexander Hleb’s quest to earn the eternal hatred of Arsenal fans has gained further momentum today, as he told the world that Cesc Fabregas helped convince him of the pleasantries of Barcelona life, before hinting that the Spanish super sub may be joining him in Catalonia soon. The Spoiler sees it as a distinct possibility in a year or two, but for now, Cesc will surely remain at the Emirates.

Claude Makelele to PSG
The ageing Chelsea midfielder is ready to follow Ludovic Giuly and Lillian Thuram to Paris as the French side look to bring together a team strong enough to challenge for the European Masters Cup over the next few years.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: A done deal

Didier Drogba to Barcelona
Following Makelele out of the door could be Double D, who kindly told Chelsea that if nobody better comes in for him over the next few days he will sign a new contract. He has ducked out of Chelsea’s tour of China with a knee problem, prompting speculation he is leaving.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Scolari insists he is staying put

Andy Johnson to Fulham
The Cottagers have now decided

This morning’s rumours, gossip and damned lies

The Spoiler recently questioned why Rafael Benitez was selling Peter Crouch, one of his few strikers, to raise money to buy yet another midfielder. It looks like he hasn’t learnt his lesson, as he is now attempting to offload Andrei Voronin for £3 million. The reason? You’ve guessed it: to fund the Barry bid. The fashion conscious England hater won’t be missed, despite five goals in 13 league starts.

Dimitar Berbatov to Man United
The Spoiler was impressed with Sir Alex Ferguson’s professionalism yesterday after he announced his bid for a player without naming him. That was until we picked up today’s copy of The Sun and saw it plastered with quotes about Fergie wanting Berbatov.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Maybe Real Madrid aren’t the only club without morals

Rob Green to Aston Villa
West Ham’s player of the season feels unappreciated because he is the club’s lowest-paid first-teamer and had his request for a new contract snubbed at the same time Dean Ashton got a rise. Hearing that Freddie Ljungberg could be given millions to disappear won’t have helped matters.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: The board know it would be a season ticket sales disaster if the fans’ favourite leaves

Sunderland get ripped off again
Any Mackems hoping Sunderland wouldn’t be burning millions

Today’s rumours, gossip and damned lies

After telling Milan where to stick their interest in Emmanuel Adebayor, frugal Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has decided he is fed up with his greedy players, and now wants to the shift the Togolese striker. This time, the Frenchman chose letter-writing over faxing and told the Italians he wants a ridiculous hefty £36 million. Seeing as the methods of communication between the two teams are slowly becoming more rudimentary, we expect the counter offer to be sent by telegram, and all remaining correspondence to be wired by Morse code.

The Frank Lampard saga latest
Scolari says he will stay but Lampard’s agent Steve Kutner claims his future is “completely unresolved”. Chelsea are offering him £150,000 a week for four years, but Lampard is holding out for five.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: He’s been offered £150,000 until he’s 33 - why is he still haggling?

David Villa to Liverpool
Once again, Rafael Benitez has publicly declared interest in a player who’s under contract at another club. Benitez feels negotiations will be difficult but Villa has previously spoken about wanting to work with the former Valencia boss.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: A possibility, but would Rafa want to change formation again?

Andy Johnson to Wigan
Johnson’s preferred choice if he leaves Everton is Wigan. Not because he