Under Marcel, hopefully there will be no more pot shots. Looking back you can't help but think we bought players for the sake of it on the off chance he may come good.

I wonder if the club catalogues all their purchases now in terms of playing style, personality and cost etc..

Surely after Davy Klaassen, Niasse, etc, EFC has learnt its lessons?

Personality is a strong one. Away from the influences that helped get him notice, some may struggle. The social groups they get into can change the motivation. the different surroundings can overwhelm people.

This doesn't just happen at football. many students struggle in their first year at university only to change location and career course and thrive later.

With the money in the game now this should happen less often. Players can bring a friend with them, or fly home for a weekend. We will see. But, whatever happens, I am sure we will continue to kiss a lot of frogs for the occasional prince.

With Moyes's style of play, there was never a sniff for him. Good on him though for making a career out of it with some very decent wages I bet too.

Jo on the other hand really was a quality player until he lost motivation. Then he became the powder puff player you describe.

With a few Portuguese coaches around in the Prem. now, one wonders if he would have done better ( Wolves for example).

“I signed on the Thursday, played in the reserves on the Saturday, and that was the first game I'd had in six months because I'd been in dispute with the club.

“Howard was desperate to change things and we had a practice game on the Monday. It went quite well and on the Tuesday he said, ‘I'm playing you Saturday against Liverpool'. And when he said that, I thought, ‘don't be silly'. It was miles too soon because I wasn't match fit. I needed more games under my belt. At the time I'd had a summer break, which was longer in those times, and then when I went back, Blackburn wouldn't let me train, I was training on my own.

“So I was nowhere near natural game fit and, although the reserve game went okay, it was a reserve team game, and there's massive difference between that and playing in what at that time was, and still is now, an unbelievably competitive, high-level derby.

“At the time Liverpool were clearly the best side in Europe and probably the world, but Howard always said to me, ‘you're a big game player', which I was. I enjoyed the big games and got myself up for them. However, I just knew I would struggle.

“But I knew with Howard he wasn't the sort of man you'd say No to, but even my wife said, ‘You can't play in that game, you need a few more games'.

“But I took a chance and that year they brought in the professional foul. I had no knowledge of it because I hadn't played that season and when I pulled Dalglish back, I honestly expected to get a booking. So, when I get sent off, it came as a shock to me."

That game wasn't just a disaster for Keeley, Southall was dropped and sent out on loan, and a couple of other players were dropped after that 5-0 walloping. Howard made quite a lot of mistakes before he turned it round and gave us four glorious seasons.

Two months later, Kendall signed Dave Watson and that was the end for Mountfield.