Chris Sutton 2010

Division: League Two

Estimated Budget: Midtable

Ins: Ben Hutchinson, Joe Anyon, Drewe Broughton, Mustapha Carayol,  Jamie Clapham, Delroy Facey, Albert Jarrett, Gavin McCallum, Josh O’Keefe

Outs: Shane Clarke, Rob Burch, Richard Butcher, Sam Clucas, Lenell John-Lewis, Chris Fagan, Brian Gilmour

Rating at the time: 5/10

Rating with hindsight: 3/10

Seems odd, doesn’t it? I’m picking the transfer window before a relegation out of the Football League and giving it the same rating as 2008. There are reasons for this; firstly, the squad had already come apart when Sutton had his first summer; we were still suffering the after-effects of the Magnificent Seven and the trouble it had caused the budget the following season. Sutton also had the unenviable task of replacing loan players such as Davide Somma, Chris Herd, Matty Saunders and the like; all technically gifted players who were decent for us.

How did he do? On paper, well. This was a window I felt was stronger than it turned out to be. Mustapha Carayol and Albert Jarrett were both the type of player I liked to see in red and white, fast and direct, as was Gavin McCallum. Ok, Drewe Broughton didn’t light anyone’s candle, but Ben Hutchinson was a solid season-long loan signing, one of the first long-term loans we entered into. I did feel bitter at the way Richard Butcher was released, given how he later performed for Notts County, but the others (at the time) seemed fair enough; even Sam Clucas.

Of course, Sutton wanted more money, but was told he wouldn’t get the spoils from his cup run, so we never got to see if he could have got a tune out of this badly-assembled assorted of instruments. It’s actually a shame; I think he might have got Hutchinson a little more motivated.

Biggest Hit

Imagine having to pick the biggest hit in that lot; it’s like trying to pick your favourite street in Grimsby. I guess I’m going to go with Carayol, not for anything he did in a City shirt, but because with hindsight, he was a decent player who went on to have a strong career. It was good scouting by the club, but he wasn’t available enough. Had he played 46 games, we might have stayed up, just another one of the many ‘what ifs’ from a truly awful season.

Biggest Flop

This is a list with two of the worst strikers I’ve ever seen in a Lincoln shirt on it, and that makes this tough. I’m going to pick Hutchinson, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he was another with £1m on his record, the supposed fee Celtic paid for him. He came from one of Europe’s biggest clubs (they are, I don’t care what you say) and he was still awful. Then there was the outburst at fans; that’s not acceptable and no matter what you do, it’s hard to come back from slating supporters who pay to watch you.