This time last year I wrote about midfielder Liam Trotter, the so called "star man" about how really this was the biggest season in his career.

He showed the potential but could he fulfill it? 12 months on and we're still in the same position.

Trotter will miss the first few weeks of the season after having surgery on an old injury that Steve Lomas said he was carrying throughout the second half of the season, at least Trotts now has a decent excuse.

The second half of the season was a disaster - players were leaving and the replacements were nowhere near good enough.

We needed someone to step forward and push the team on. Well Trotter went missing in 2013, but to be fair, so did most of the team...

His performances were not good enough. He's meant to be an attacking midfielder but he barely moved around in games, it's why he picked up the "Lazy" tag. He was just a passenger in most games, just at the vital time where we needed him most.

Most transfer windows saw the rumour mill go into overdrive with Trotter with at least two Premier League clubs linked each time, with the likes of Southampton and Fulham apparently set to snap up the midfielder.

But we can now see why a team has never tested the clubs resolve with a bid. He is just far to inconsistent.

Earlier in the season when we were around the top of the table he was quality, unbeatable at times, but as soon as the going got tough and we had a battle on our hands, he didn't want to know. Team scouts could come and watch Trotter for ten games, and see three world-class performances, but also see seven lethargic ones...

On his day, Trotter can be a world beater, a physical attacking force. But these days haven't come to the Den in recent times. The most frustrating thing is that fans know he has the ability, so why not show it?

The injury to Trotter may also be seen by the club as a missed opportunity, this will be seen to be the last transfer window in which we can get a decent transfer fee for him. Despite the poor form in the second half of last season he is still considered one to watch in the Championship.

With Trotter only having one year left on his deal and contract talks yet to commence - it leaves the club in a delicate situation. Try and sell him quick and try and get a decent fee, or risk it by offering the new contract, him rejecting it and then leaving for cheap or on a free?

Because to be honest, one way or another, I cannot see Trotter not staying at the club past the end of the new season...

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