Silly season is here again!

So the season is back up and running, fans the length and breadth of the country finally getting their fix; expensive summer signings, dodgy new kits, the customary blind optimism that comes with one good opening day, sun-drenched victory. Arsenal are already being tipped by some after making Everton look silly, Liverpool are being written off after one defeat, and Wigan, many people's picks for the drop are suddenly dark horses, Martinez the flavour of the day. All ridiculous, of course.

It has, for many i'm sure, proved quite an entertaining weekend. Our result at Blackburn was a promising start, during which we managed to play some entertaining football whilst also coping quite well with their typically-Allardyce clogging tactics. Good luck to them, i hope they try and kick more teams to death, it's an admirable plan only let down by the fact that they're as poor at that as they are at trying to play.

The day had started with a Chelsea win over Hull City, whose manager, not content enough with being a creosoted parody, would go on to sport an outrageous shirt/jumper combo on Sky this morning. A spanking was expected, it didn't really materialise, but how lovely it is to see Stephen Hunt back where he belongs, on the receiving end of studs and elbows. They were unlucky, a deflected cross ultimately proving the difference.

'Chelsea are favourites' pundits and fans keep telling us, forgetting that they've had the strong squad everyone speaks of for their last three fruitless league campaigns. Why the addition of a Russian winger and Ross Turnbull should suddenly see them as everyone's tip is beyond me, let's not forget last season when, after a great start, they were going to blow everyone away.

The game of the day was at Goodison Park, their fans, not worried about City but always talking about us, made to face up to their sides painful inadequacies after an absolute tonking. It's okay, though, because 'they're the people's club', and 'they've got more class than us', and 'Moyes knows best'. Of course, your best fit defender being made to play whilst obviously unhappy could never backfire.

The decline in relations between us and them could at best be deemed unfortunate. What we've done wrong is beyond me, but if painting us out to be classless bullies is their best way of saving face in light of one of their better players wanting to move on then i feel for them. Moyes is in a no-win situation. Either he keeps a player who'd rather be elsewhere and the atmosphere in their dressing room stagnates, or he sells up and is made to look like a bit of a chump with little power at the club where he perhaps naively insists he has complete control. Anyhow, seeing them get a thorough pasting was extremely enjoyable.

Today's games, well, less said the better. Them lot from over the road labouring to a win over a spirited Brum, their side full of surefire future greats like the permanently-flapping Ben Foster, the pedestrian Luis Valencia, and Johnny Evans. Paul Scholes, a great player in his day but now in urgent need of being put down, and Scotland flop Darren Fletcher anchoring a near non-existent midfield, and an increasing and obvious reliance on their one remaining world-class player, Wayne Rooney. I hope it's a sign of things to come. Liverpool, too, quite awful.

Anyhow, at least we're no longer football-less, and as ridiculous as the majority of the opinions already being broadcast are, mine included, i'd rather hear some numpty waffling nonsense than only have a couple of pointless summer tournaments and the latest 'will he, won't he?' transfer saga to occupy my time. The importance of the opening weekend's results or performances, or indeed those for the first few weeks and beyond, are negligible, but we'll welcome the reaction to each with open arms. Silly season is here again, and if this year is half as exciting as last then we're in for some fantastic entertainment.