Harsh on Ince, maybe, but he simply had no competition for his whole season. He played with such class at the start of the season he was on his way to player of the year but when all the speculation of a new keeper died down, so did he. Williams came in with everyone, including I, moaning how Stuart Tomlinson is being forced down a black hole but Williams has put in goalkeeping performances we've not seen since Jason Kearton made Blackburn rue the day they tried to embarrass him.
I'm not quite sure who Williams is though, he came with a reputation from Altrincham and Chesterfield fans as truly the worst keeper in football - of course not true as Bankole is yet to retire. Williams's ten appearances have blown them words to oblivion and it's hard to see how Williams was once ever "bad".
As for Mellor - it's third time lucky for Dario. After a failed attempt in 2002 and a failed attempt in March, it seems DG has finally had a offer to bring Mellor to the club accepted. About time too. The deal will see Mellor on a season long loan and you only have to look at his goal scoring record to see why Dario and Houllier rate him so highly.
Being friends with dad Ian Mellor, Dario has always known of the bright star that is Neil Mellor and 43 goals in 43 games for Liverpool U-19s in 2002 proved he had a future - to think few youngsters get over 20 goals a season. His youth goals were converted into reserve goals and he kept firing them in - and even on his first team Liverpool debut he hit the back of the net.
His spell at West Ham dampens his record a bit. West Ham fans don't rate him at all after he was forced to move down to London at 19, he knew no-one in the West Ham team, he had three different managers in his first three months and two of them didn't rate him. After just 21 games, 12 of those as a sub, he was sent home to Liverpool by Alan Pardew.
Why is this a good signing for Crewe? Well Mellor certainly has goals in him and his West Ham nightmare was nothing to with his ability as he went back to Liverpool and hit ten in four for the reserves. Mellor will be staying in Liverpool but playing at the same level as West Ham (Go on Ipswich). He's got two years on his contract left and next season needs to prove himself.
Like Dario said; If Mellor is looking to play in the Liverpool first team then he should find Division One comfy enough. So Mellor will come and offer the third striker we've been missing. On paper the striker force of Mellor, Ashton and Steve Jones just looks awesome - as long as Dario doesn't go selling the latter two.
Hopefully these two will sign on the dotted line for next season, along with McCready. The squad will be coming together nicely and only one thing remains - Dave Brammer. He's, as I write, mulling over the contract offered by Crewe and contracts offered by other clubs (Spit), him signing a contract will just add the final piece to that mini jig-saw that needed completing over the close season. Him not signing will leave a gap, a very big one as well, for next season and Dario has already said that Brams won't be replace - so the jig-saw may never get complete. We live in hope.
The odd free signing for strength in dept will undoubtedly come and we will probably see David Wright go but for me next season is looking bright and I like the look of this team:
GK - Williams
DC - Moses
DC - Foster
DC - McCready/Billy Jones
ML - David Vaughan
MC - Justin Cochrane
MC - Dave Brammer
MC - Kenny Lunt
MR - Steve Jones
FC - Dean Ashton
FC - Neil Mellor