Like him or loath him - and I know there are number who can’t stand him - I don’t think anyone was happy with what happened to Kieron Dyer on Friday.
Whether there is sympathy for his desire to be closer to his family, a general feeling that he has gone stale at Newcastle United or a burning hatred of the player, most supporters would have accepted that a £6m move to West Ham was mutually beneficial.
Newcastle were getting a decent fee for one of their biggest earners, which has already been invested in a replacement - more of that later - and West Ham were getting an England international who, at 28, is supposedly in his prime.
But no, Newcastle throw their toys out of the pram and decide they want more money, West Ham spit their dummies out and refuse. The transfer collapses at the last minute and Kieron is stuck in limbo, not wanted at the club he wants to leave and no longer wanted by the club he was supposed to be going to.
So what happens now? Sam Allardyce has told Kieron to forget about the disappointment of the transfer collapsing, but I suspect that might be easier said than done.
Indeed, I would suggest that we are unlikely to see Dyer in a first team squad for the foreseeable future because Allardyce has already planned for life without him and the player’s mental state is far from positive.
Which all means United have turned down £6m for a player whose value will only fall if does not play at Newcastle before the next transfer window opens in January and they will also have to continue to pay his £80,000 a week wages.
If you ask me -and you haven’t but I’m going to tell you anyway - the decision to up the transfer fee was a bit like a card player who has just won a sizeable hand at poker, but decides to gamble again and loses it all.
There are some who would say business - particularly when it comes to negotiating - is like playing a hand of poker. You don’t want to show your hand to the opposition while simultaneously trying to work out what sort of hand they are playing with.
On this occasion Newcastle - or rather owner Mike Ashley who is believed to intervened at the last minute - has played the wrong hand.
Whether the deal is revived remains to be seen and it is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility, but for now, Allardyce will have to use all of his self-proclaimed man-management skills if he wants to bring Dyer back into the fold.
As for those supporters who are desperate to see Dyer leave, will they continue their hate campaign now that he has been forced to return to the club or accept that this can be counter-productive?
Finally, I cannot see how Alan Smith is actually a replacement for Dyer. I know he played in midfield at Manchester United, but I don’t think anyone at Old Trafford thought it was a particularly successful switch.
So has he been signed as a striker - and he insists this is his best position - or is he a midfielder. Then again, nobody ever really seems to know what Dyer’s best position is, so perhaps he is the idea replacement!
If he’s a striker, did Newcastle really need another one with Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi already on the books?
Given that Allardyce believes he did, I suspect this means he is looking to use a 4-3-3 formation regularly next season, with Smith and Viduka either side of Owen - if fit - or Martins.
As I wrote in my match report from the Sampdoria game, keeping everyone happy is going to be a difficult task for the new manager this season. Owen will expect to start when fit, but Martins and Smith left Inter Milan and Manchester United respectively because of the competition for places.
Over to you Sam, but it will be extremely interesting - although I think we can rule a certain Mr Dyer out of the equation - to see who starts up front at Bolton on Saturday.
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