NO wonder Colin Todd was angry when tabloid transfer speculation set up Alan Thompson as a target for Sheffield Wednesday.

The Wanderers boss knows how damaging it would be if the young midfield ace became the latest Burnden hero to become a victim of the rumour machine.

As one concerned supporter put it: "They said Sasa Curcic wasn't leaving...!"

Thankfully, Hillsborough boss David Pleat reckons there was no substance to the speculation, reinforcing Todd's insistence that he's had no approach for Thompson and wouldn't listen to any if he had.

After all, it would be reasonable to assume that Wanderers would fancy signing Alan Shearer - but wanting him and getting him are two entirely different things.

But Todd knows from experience how damaging it can be to have his most talented players constantly touted as targets of the so-called bigger clubs. They had a bellyfull of it with Jason McAteer and Alan Stubbs then, when it started again with Curcic, they knew what was coming.

They didn't fancy months of tabloid tittle-tattle distracting them as they set about the task of regaining Premiership status. That was one factor that finally persuaded them to do business with Aston Villa (there were, of course, four million others to justify the controversial decision to sell the super Serb).

With hindsight it was a great piece of business. Wanderers haven't missed Curcic and Villa, as Brian Little conceded this week, haven't had anything like their money's worth.

It still served to illustrate the point that the top Nationwide League talent can always fall prey to the predators of the Premiership. Every player has his price.

But, as the worried fan pointed out, Wanderers should be looking to Thompson as one of the key players who will form the basis of the team she hopes to see competing with the top Premier League clubs next season.

And that was the impression Todd was giving when he slammed the "Owls set to swoop" stories.

He would like to think it was the first and last time but he knows it's probably the first of many.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.