WITH the play-offs now virtually out of sight and a long summer approaching, Saints fans will have to get used to seeing their manager and players linked with moves away from the club – but it’s only a sign of how well they are doing.

In the last week already Alan Pardew has been off to Celtic and now, apparently, West Ham – but only if they are relegated and Gianfranco Zola is sacked in the summer.

Of course, at some point one of the rumours might well prove to be true but at this stage of the season, with so many decisions to come at the end of campaigns across the country, nobody can be sure because nothing is decided.

Pardew (right) is bound to attract attention because, like some of his players, he has done a good job this season.

It is merely a flattering by-product of success and, though fans understandably grow weary and frustrated about hearing rumours their top talent is about to depart, it needs to be seen for what it is – a compliment because they have done so well for Saints.

Nobody ever gets annoyed that a fringe player who has only featured for the reserves might move somewhere.

The thing that makes the speculation more likely to increase is that Saints look almost certain to be spending another season in League One.

If they were in the Championship and charging up, people would probably assume there would be no reason for anybody to leave as, aside from a jump straight to an established Premier League team. Ambitious Saints is as good a place as any to be.

However, the questions will come as to whether even decent Championship clubs or probable top flight strugglers could tempt away talent from Saints for a fair price simply because of the League One factor.

Pardew will be at the forefront of the rumours as he is high profile, well-known to the national media and chairmen across the land.

He may not have achieved the unlikely feat of getting Saints to the play-offs this season but he has only enhanced his reputation with the job he has done at St Mary’s this year in the eyes of most of the footballing world.

He is back on the map and a success and it’s not hard to see why some clubs would covet him as their manager.

You also sense that other clubs may feel they have a chance of tempting him away because, rightly or wrongly, the picture that is seen by the outside footballing world is that he and Nicola Cortese are not soul mates destined to stay together for years.

When it comes to players, Rickie Lambert will be linked with a move away because he’s had another outstanding season and, at 28, he is in his prime which could tempt teams to try and take a punt.

Adam Lallana is another who has had a very good season and has long been the subject of conversations at various clubs as to whether he is worth a shot.

These could be the tip of the iceberg of course.

It also puts the club in a difficult situation – they are not able to put fans’ minds at rest and reassure them over every rumour because, in truth, they don’t know whether they are true or not.

Football is a murky old business and stories are not always borne out of either fact or the overactive mind of a journalist.

The club can comment on matters of fact – for example whether West Ham have approached them for Pardew – but not over whether they will because they don’t know.

Be warned Saints fans, this summer might be frustrating at times but remember there will be plenty of exciting rumours over who is coming in that no one will complain at and the whole thing is a backhanded compliment and a sign of how well things are going.