Blue Watch: Jose Baxter and the pitfalls facing any young player
IF it wasn't for the fact that the bad weather kept the numbers down, and also that none of the Manchester United supporters probably had a clue who he was, Jose Baxter might have expected a degree of barracking from the away contingent at Widnes on Tuesday night.
After being bailed that morning following an arrest on charges concerning drugs and forged money, a more high-profile player would have at least faced the odd taunt or zany chant.
No-one was bothered in the end, although the 17-year-old midfielder probably wouldn't have been bothered if they did: grief from away fans is the least of his worries at the moment.
If he's found guilty then there's every chance he will face a jail sentence, and that will be a real test to how much Everton really rate him.
Standing by Duncan Ferguson, for instance, a valuable player deemed to have been wronged by the system, was an easy decision for the club to make.
Would they be as willing to do the same for a young reserve involved in something far more serious than an on-the-field head-butt?
That said, we don't know any of the details of the case, so it makes no sense to either condemn Baxter or plead his innocence.
Even if he's proven to be a victim of circumstance though, and had nothing to do with the drugs or funny money, his case must be a salutory lesson to other young players about the need to be wary about the company they keep.
After all, the jails are full of people who happen to be hanging around with the wrong people when the police come to call.
The same obviously applies to any youngster, but there's something about footballers in particular, with the world of opportunity open to them, that makes the idea of putting themselves in stupid situations seem, well, really stupid.
Hopefully Baxter, and Isiah Osbourne at Aston Villa, are proven to be victims of circumstance and don't end up regretting this week for the rest of their lives.
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good point, well made. These lads have got to be more careful. Football is full of hard-luck, nearly-was stories.