Following on from yesterday’s 2013 retro column, here’s Ed’s follow-up piece in which he gave us his, let’s call it, ‘Disappointing’ City XI’…

*(The piece has been 2024-proofed where possible, but please bear in mind it was originally penned over a decade ago … much has changed since then).

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1. Michael Theoklitos

Michael was signed, amid no little fanfare, before the start of the 2009-10 season by Bryan Gunn – a man who, we thought, must know a keeper when he sees one.

The Aussie came highly recommended – a succession of clean sheets, club success, and international recognition. And, hailing from the nation that had previously given us Mark Bosnich, Mark Schwarzer and Brad Jones, among others, it seemed as good and canny an investment as we could have made.
His debut and sole Canary appearance in that 7-1 against Colchester is now part of the club’s history – a game and team performance that is now seen as the catalyst to everything that has happened at Carrow Road since.

For Michael, it was simply too much. He was not match fit before the game and was certainly not ready for the comparative bear pit of League One football in England, the pressure and expectation from the home support or the sheer, unrelenting presence of Colchester on that day. He also had a defence in front of him that gave a new definition to the term ?porous?.

His lack of fitness showed in hi...