Mountfield says: I'll be back - January 31,
2001
The expected formal announcement on Derek Mountfield's departure from Cork City didn't emerge yesterday - and the former Everton and Aston Villa star left for Merseyside vowing: "I'll be back on Friday."
The implication is that Mountfield is proving as tough a nut in severance negotiations as he was on the pitch and that the affair is far from over.
Mountfield had a farewell meeting with his players and later told reporters: "I will be back in Cork on Friday and I will issue a statement then."
Meanwhile, Bohemians manager Roddy Collins has leapt to Mountfield's defence, claiming his players let him down.
"It's a bad day for the league because, if given time, I really do believe that Derek would have enhanced the league and done great things for Cork City," Collins said. "He was never really given a chance in the job.
"I know that he had great things planned for Cork, but I do believe that certain players let him down and that has cost him his job".
The latest names to be speculatively linked with Mountfield's job are former Manchester United star and Republic of Ireland international Ashley Grimes; and current Galway United boss Don O'Riordan.