Sigh - we're at the "optimistic" stage of a Utd summer transfer window cycle.
The stage where journos come out making huge proclamations of hitherto unseen spending plans at the club, that will right all our wrongs in one go. Next season will be different. We've learned our lesson.
This will include the 3/4 positions we're looking to fill, and will do the rounds for a couple of weeks as our main targets for each position are fed to our eager fanbase. This time Utd are acting fast. There is genuine change happening behind the scenes.
Slowly, however, as the summer passes by and international tournaments become the focus the stories get murkier. "Utd have a list of options for each position" - "They won't make a move until after the Euros" - "Dependent on outgoings" - "Chelsea/City/Liverpool enter the conversation".
And then it's 4 weeks before the start of the next season. Our rivals are getting/have gotten deals over the line that had been doing the rounds for barely a week, and include names that were supposedly on our radar.
The squad returns for preseason. Comments about "squad harmony" and "player development" dominate press conferences. This isn't the tone we ended the previous season on. Is Ole being backed? He says yes, but it sounds strained.
Fans get antsy. This is looking horribly familiar. Forced anticipation will arise as a picture of Woodward leaving a friendly at halftime circulate Twitter.
And then we get one over the line. We fill a position that was never truly considered the main problem area. But it's left-field (probably quite literally) and indicative of our new approach. Says the spin-doctor employed by the club.
The season starts.
Basically. Don't do it to yourselves guys. Transfer windows are our very own boom-bust cycle. Unless a transfer is confirmed, assume it isn't happening. Save yourselves early.