It’s perhaps unfair to blame all the miseries of one club on one man, and Kris Boyd’s improvement in fortunes on swapping the red of Teesside for Trentside only heaps further ignominy on Project Strachan; but the disjunct between the reputation of a man with 174 goals plundered north of Hadrian’s Wall and the miserable nature of his performances for Boro was startling. He scored six times, but it was the heavy lidded failure to look interested that shocked. None of this may be his fault with the club in turmoil, but his rumoured £30,000 a week wages justify his selection.

Elsewhere, Steve Coppell’s early departure from Ashton Gate was deflating, Alan Lee and Ross McCormack struggled in the West Riding, Charlie Austin’s transition to the Championship was abject and Jim Gannon self destructed at Vale Park.

Last year’s winner: Tamà¡s Priskin