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That would require the ref to admit it was a mistake in his report. I remember that happened when Hamann got a second yellow for Vieira faking contact and rescinded it after the game. Cavanagh would never though.

Kavanagh was absolutely man of the match.

When that video started, I'll admit I was expecting the beardy disco dude to be a Boney M style prop. Did not anticipate such a wicked first tenor stealing the show.

Coutinho looked good from the start before he hit an extended "where is he going with this?" period and then becoming a proper player. Heskey (...) was a bit subdued in his first season before turning it on in style during the treble season. That's all I got.

That's quite enough of that now, Samuel. I only want to see you believing his full recovery into existence from here on out.

Alright, let's stop the anecdotal "John Barnes was never the same bulls***." 82% of a surveyed 118 players between 2008 and 2018 made a full recovery. And 71% are back to playing at the same performance level the season after the injury first happened. So there. No more fake news.

He needs bench time. For the sake of the team and his own. He's really not benefiting from how this is playing out right now either.

Mentalitywise, they aren't intimidated by the prospect of being the guy the other players look to to get them out of trouble. They are comfortable being top dogs. So is gakpo. Isak and Wirtz, and seemingly Barcola too on limited evidence, shrink from the responsibility placed on their shoulders.

He can do a job there if asked, since he's fast and comfortable taking on defenders out wide. It'd be a waste though, given that we have twelvety left wingers and he can do all the things we're currently missing in the centre.

Szoboslai is, he's just grating in the way he goes about it.

That's Ekitike. Which is why I still say that this is Ekitike's team and isak will need to find a way to fit into that, or magically become much better than him, to have a future here once Hugo is back.

We definitely needed a top class winger.

Right. Returning to Barcola, my main worry is that we've paid 123m for a player I kinda suspect is good but still a smidgen worse than what Gakpo has been for us (disregarding last season). Alright like, but not what we needed for 123m.

He understands what it means to play at this level though. We need all the leaders we can get right now.

Im not sure what more involved with his teammates is supposed to mean(?). But I do think he's improved in terms of showing where and how he'd like the ball to be played with his runs and movement. Something I always thought Sturridge was really good at.

Trying to sell Gakpo also tells you something about how little Hughes understands team dynamics. The only proper forward who isn't shy and he was going to replace him with another introvert. Our whole season is realistically banking on Gakpo continuing to show leadership up front and Isak continuing to tap it in when he gets the ball in space inside the box. The rest - Ekitike recovering his level this season, Wirtz coming good, Barcola being good, Rio making a leap in development, Isak doing stuff on the ball - is all hopeful stuff. Might happen but there's no good reason to think it's likely to.

Oof. But yes, that's his level isn't it. Forever stuck between being ok, frustrating and doing something good we can hope turns into being a good player. He'd be fine as a replacement for Tsimikas. But his good level is basically to not stick out in a bad way. We need someone that makes you think he actually elevates the team level when he plays.

Isak looks expressive to you on the pitch? He literally does nothing except look for the ball to drop for a shot at goal. Admittedly, that's a significant improvement on last year, but all three look like they don't really want to be here, or at least that someone else will shoulder the responsibility of getting on the ball and making plays happen. Gakpo and Ekitike are the only ones who aren't intimidated by the prospect of getting the ball and doing something more with it than the player who passed it to them.

I give Iraola plenty of credit for the game today. We were the better team until the red card, and the back seven were doing everything we could ask from them. They took control of the game and outperformed the city team in their part of the pitch. Things broke down in the final third because the front four offered nothing at all, except a bit of tenacious direct running from Munoz. Top points for mentality from Munoz and Koumas, but they don't have the quality to back it up in a game like this. Zero points for mentality from Wirtz and Barcola. Wimps who didn't want to play the game. Munoz' performance would have been fine as a squaddie filling in and doing his job if surrounded by better players, but it's tragic that he was our best attacker by some distance.

All I want from him is Coutinho levels of tenacity. I am not expecting Mane levels of "your ass is mine today" aggression on the ball, or Salah levels of dogged persistence, let alone Suarez levels of "with or without my teammates im winning today" all out mentality. Just get on the ball and make the opposition worry about you whenever that happens. Stop waiting for the game to happen to you.

I think he's one of those players who found an extra level in his head, by sheer composure. Except that composure hit a hard ceiling in the Premier league. It's not just that he's struggling with the physicality and pace. He's bungling touches and passes that he shouldn't be. When he's played well (sometime last year) he's looked like a quite clever player with good technique. But also someone clever about his technique moreso than God given talent. I just don't think his technique is where is it needs to be at to overcome his mentality and physicality struggles.

Compared to our successful attackers. Salah was relentless and would just keep going through attacking work. Mane had real aggression and absolutely loads of bottle when the chips are down. Firmino worked hard but also constantly sought to get on the ball, wanted to make something happen for others. I just don't see the part of his mentality that is going to make it click for him. The timidness is overwhelming.

He works hard most games. He just doesn't put the effort to particularly good use and it's a personality problem. He doesn't seek out the game as it happens, has no desire to be the one that other players give the ball when something better needs to happen, makes no attempt to try and bend the game to his will. No tenacity, no swagger, no aggression, no desire.

And a manufactured red card.

Easy way to not be a scapegoat. Don't stink the place out.