Obviously Harry's illness was a big factor, but I identified four massive mistakes. Not going into the reasons, what happened is nothing we can change now.

First was not securing the signature of Archie Gemmill, who went on to win the League title with two different clubs. A real combative driving force in midfield right through the 1970s.

Next comes the goalkeeper situation. Peter Shilton should have been signed, whoever scouted the two keepers we suffered in the 70s, one for a British goalkeeper transfer record, has a lot to answer for, and as the richest club in the country during that time I have no idea why it was not rectified.

Selling Howard Kendall in 1974 was just madness, far and away our finest midfield player then, and still the best when he came back as player-manager in 1981.

Finally, the two managers mentioned in this article were not of sufficient calibre to occupy the position of Everton manager, and led to ten wasted years. All these mistakes should have been avoided. The game at the highest level, which is where our great club should always be, is about top players and good management.

During the period covered by this article, the high standards set by Everton right through our history, but especially in the 1960s, were allowed to slip badly. As I say, I know the reasons these mistakes happened. Not interested. They should not have been allowed to happen.

Fans could debate that all day long but I assume from your use of the word "madness" that you would not have gone for that deal? My view at the time was that we shouldn't have gone for it as I agree with your opinion as to how good a player Howard was (and remained).

At the end of the Latchford years and with hindsight, maybe it was the best deal? I know we won nothing with Latch but would that also have been the case if we'd have kept Howard and not done that deal? Who knows?

Another great article, Sas, but Smallman was David, not Mick!

This is an extremely well-researched, compiled and written. A thoroughly entertaining read.

I was never inspired by Bingham or his functional brand of football. I still recall with a wry smile in that season when we blew the title with the two losses to eventually relegated Carlisle as you mention the match report from a dour 1-0 win on Derby's notious mud bath at Pride Park.

At half-time the home groundsmen would come on with their 'stomper' tools in a vain attempt to flatten back into place the worst of the pot holes.

So dire was the football on show, a report I read stated. 'As the players took their leave at the interval, the groundsmen took to the pitch to batten down the remaining sods!'

Gordon Lee's Everton had some grand moments and of course it gave us the formidable Thomas - Latchford combo. But increasingly the football also became more attritional.

I'm also wary of a coach seemingly unwilling to learn from other football cultures, whilst Everton manager Lee said of the 1978 Argentina World Cup that there was nothing he could learn from it.

But as your article neatly shows, both managers and the club came tantalisingly close to landing silverware under their tenures.

A case of 'nearly but not quite', which lent to our gradual fall from grace, signing some good players and some duds, letting go of good players at the wrong time.

Now if the board hadn't shot its mouth off about appointing Bobby Robson after the Cat, before he had a chance to tell his Ipswich board as agreed, causing BR to change his mind, we could have had a very, VERY different story...

An excellent article, Alasdair. Well done.

Had we got Bobby Robson and Peter Shilton we would have won things in the '70s. We went close but never had a top keeper.

But brought back a couple of nightmares!!!

I was at both the shambolic Carlisle games and I still break out in a sweat when I think of them. I think if we had won one and drawn the other, we would have won the league?

I was talking to Big Bob a couple of years ago in Liverpool and he still remembers those two games as losing us the title. Another interesting thing he told me: When he signed for Everton, he was told "We are signing Peter Shilton from Stoke shortly." I wounder what would have happened if we had done?

Oh well...

Anyway, good read. COYB

I wouldn't claim that he would have necessarily delivered the same success that he brought to those luvable reds, but I'm sure he would have been successful – with the added bonus that we would have severely disrupted their succession plans too!

In signing Rioch we got a left footed player who played on the right side of midfield and cut in from the right, scoring a number of goals for Derby from that source. We played him generally on the left side of midfield, thereby neutralising his effectiveness for us.

When we signed him Colin Todd was considered a part of the best central defence in the country alongside Roy McFarland. Todd was an exceptionally good footballer. For reasons best known to Lee, we played him at right back preferring Billy Wright in central defence.

I repeat, it was an excellent contribution and a really good read; we can only hope that the present regime don't follow in the footsteps of their predecessors.

Looking back it was as they say now, sadly even 40 plus years ago, we were asymptomatic and always blew it at the big games, league, FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.

The FA Cup Semi-Final first leg, and even the replay, it's as if the team by default conjured up defeat when we should have won.

Hopefully under Carlo, the mentality will improve.

All stay safe and well.

Hi John, good to hear from you. Yes, you are right and a bit of a sloppy assumption on my part. Labone got himself established in the side in season 1959-60. By the time Catterick was appointed, he was first-choice centre-half and indeed Jimmy Gabriel was also in the side by then. Maybe I was giving Catterick credit for keeping him in the side.

Always good to have your comments, John.

Martin @3

You are right regarding Smallman's Christian name. I have administered a slap on the wrist.

Glad you enjoyed the post.

We also needed a grinder like John McGovern in midfield to allow Dobbo to do his thing. So near and yet so far.

I can't comment on Bingham as I was a wee boy. Bob Latchford's summary in A Different Road suggests that training was attritional. One of those managers who felt players were hungrier for the ball if they didn't have it during the week. Since proved to be total bollocks.

In 1977-78, Nottingham Forest under Clough (with Shilton and Gemmill) were too strong and clever for Gordon Lee, who I guess trusted more on old-time football.