Red Rants has already written about what might happen if a player doesn’t get his move and made some interesting points.

Gareth Barry aside, let’s assume that none of the speculated transfers (Drogba, Lampard, Ronaldo, Adebayor) happen this time around. What then? I suspect a fair bit of animosity towards them is just the beginning.

Little will change for Drogba as this is not the first time for him. For Lampard it will be a different story. How can Chelsea not feel hard done by his desire to leave after supporting him through his mother’s death? It can be argued that any club with compassion would have done the same, and that good deeds should be done without expecting anything in return. Realistically though, as human beings there would have been some expectation of ‘loyalty’. It is not too dissimilar from that infamous case of Inter supporting the original Ronaldo through his 2 year layoff only to have him jump ship at soon as he was fit.

Can these players ever really be embraced by the fans again? A ridiculous analogy would be that of being forced to get back together with a girl that cheated on you. Sure, she could do all sorts of wonderful things, but can you really bring yourself to trust her again?

Most interesting will be the reactions of the fans at the actual games. What will happen when Ronaldo scores? Will there be an awkward divide with half of Old Trafford bursting into "He plays on the left..." while the other half stand around awkwardly, unsure of whether to welcome him back?

Reactions to an Adebayor goal will be just as mixed: he had a love-hate relationship with the fans as it was, and his delusional comments over the last few months have no doubt alienated those who once adored him.

If the imagined scenario becomes reality, expect an increase in badge-kissing celebrations in a desperate attempt at damage control.