There were always players who earned more than Shutty, who played more often than Shutty, who had more fame than Shutty, who perhaps looked at him leaving the pitch in pain and asked themselves why he was always working so hard.
"Howard Wilkinson has been very persistent," about coming from Arsenal, said David O'Leary. "He would like to pair me with Des Walker if they are successful with a bid to Sampdoria."
English football seems to be shifting its emphasis towards NFL style front-office departments as a means, I suspect, of making investors feel better about their gambles.
On the pitch, Cameron Stewart couldn't overcome events off it, either to save the fans' tired minds or his own disputed contract — an exercise in football as limbo.
Jim McLean wanted a clause in the deal with Leeds preventing them from selling Ferguson to Rangers. But Duncan Ferguson really, really, really wanted to play for Rangers.
The game has been so successful in selling loyalty back to fans that the thing loyal fans hate most is the idea that a marketing campaign might work and attract new fans — ugh!
It became easy to feel bad for players like Ekuban, who had been dropped into the Championship with little preparation and even less luck, and done their best, and suffered for it.
It's easy to understand from the adjectives — diligent, hard-working, cultured-but-disciplined — why Trevor Steven appealed to Howard Wilkinson. Besides, he already had Steve Hodge, so might as well collect another midfielder Diego Maradona had run rings around in 1986.
Häßler starts on the right, facing up Dorigo and taking him inside, until he and Batty are next to each other and there's a hand-off, when Häßler moves the ball onto someone else. One blink later and he's on the left wing.
Bruno Ribeiro took squad number 10 and took it back to its roots. His passing range, short stature and sharp tackling temper off the left were the nearest thing to a modern John Giles.