Neville Dalton is a journalist with the BBC News website and a
The rapid and shock developments of the past few days concerning David Nugent's future at Pompey have solved a few mysteries - and fed a few more.
Harry Redknapp's comments on the club's official website suggest that tabloid speculation about Nugent may not have been so far from the truth.
Admittedly, there's a big leap between reporting that he might be leaving and suggesting that he might be offloaded to fund the purchase of Nicolas Anelka.
But Redknapp's acknowledgement that Nugent's former manager, Billy Davies, wants to take his former protégé to
Let's hope that's where their accuracy stops.
Whatever the truth, whatever the chances of Pompey offloading Nugent little more than a month after signing him, I get the feeling something's not right.
True, Harry has made the right noises. But maybe he's picked his words as carefully - maybe rather more carefully - than Billy Davies, who less than a week ago declared: "I am apparently buying David Nugent from
Harry's actual comments in respect of
"He's a young player and he obviously wants to play… David's going to have to be patient."
No outright pledge to keep him come what may. No promise that Davies will not be successful with any bid.
The next few days should tell us. But as I said, surely something is not right.
Committed
The very fact that Nugent's name was being touted after the third game of the season, and the equivocal nature of Harry's riposte, throw up all sorts of scenarios.
Maybe the club wants to get rid of him? Has something happened? Possible, of course, but Nugent looks like a committed young man to me… not the sort to kick up a fuss.
Are key figures indifferent as to whether he goes? Maybe there's no active campaign to release him, but maybe there are bigger fish to fry?
Anelka? Defoe? Both could bring exceptional benefits to the club, but maybe at a cost.
In Anelka's case, maybe a big cost (see below).
But if that were true, why should Harry be declaring for the past couple of weeks that he could do with another striker? Forsaking Nugent to land Anelka or Defoe would keep the numbers the same.
Or maybe Nugent himself wants to get away.
Perhaps he is homesick; perhaps there is some other reason.
But if it's purely on footballing grounds, it's far too early for anyone to be making judgments.
For goodness' sake, how can you declare a player a hit or miss on the equivalent of little more than one game on the pitch?
If it's attitude you're worried about, Nugent stays - for already he's been running his heart out for the club in what must be a difficult period of adjustment for him.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that thrusting Nugent straight into the first team was risking piling on the pressure.
No immediate goal return and so-called experts (and some of those of us who like to think we know about the game) will be comparing goals scored with games played… unfavourably.
Even easing him in gently - as Harry seems to have been trying to do - runs the risk of his becoming labelled a flop, dropped after only a game or two.
Far from it being a reflection of his performances so far, I reckon Nugent's apparent relegation to the bench is more to do with trying to limit the pressure on Harry's new charge, hoping that he will find his feet in the less pressured environment of being a substitute while Pompey have the luxury of the revitalised Kanu to see them through.
A goal as sub could do wonders for Nugent's confidence.
But who cares if a young man who's never played in the Premier League before hasn't scored by the end of August?
He will do (given the time), and in the meantime, he's gaining valuable experience, getting to know what life with the big boys is really all about.
It only becomes a problem if people turn it into an issue.
So Harry, Sasha, Pompey fans, everyone: give the boy a chance.
For all the light shed on the Nugent affair, there are still unanswered questions.
Not least the possibility of using young David as a way of financing the purchase of Anelka.
I sincerely hope that's not the case.
I can't take issue with the Frenchman's talent - or scoring record.
But signing this proven goalscorer for substantially more money than the unproven pretender is every bit as much a risk as sticking with the young Lancastrian.
Everyone knows Anelka's reputation for impatience.
His sulkiness may be the stuff of legend, but it's often seen on the football field (though admittedly not especially when Sam Allardyce was his manager).
He might well score many goals for Pompey this season, but what about next year?
What if Pompey don't qualify for
And what if he doesn't score too many? He'll still probably want to leave, and if Pompey have an unthinkably bad season, he may have to.
But it's possible his value would have fallen or Pompey would be so desperate to offload him for financial reasons that they are held to ransom by the Manchester Uniteds of this world.
And worse still, what if it's not financial reasons that make Pompey want to offload him?
By and large, Harry has been a shrewd talent-spotter at
The last thing they need is a divisive interloper, upsetting the equilibrium and stirring dissent.
Of course, even if Anelka did come, he may prove to be neither disruptive nor divisive.
He might well be a terrific asset to the club, though he still represents a risk in my opinion.
But at a time when Harry has been talking about possibly needing another forward, should Anelka - or any other striker - be coming in at Nugent's expense?
I am certain that David Nugent will score goals - and create many more.
If we're not careful, some of them could be against Pompey.