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.