Freer is spot on, and I was embarrassed for Mings, being owned by Joelinton.

I didn’t even swear at the TV when they equalised. I can’t ever remember being so emotionless towards a goal against the Villa. It was so inevitable, it was as if my subconscious had already watched the ball smash into the net, 15 seconds earlier.

The build-up seemed in slow motion when AEG flippantly gave the ball away, with the outside of his left boot, just outside our box. He and Sanson then lazily failed to put pressure on the initial cross after the jawdees had recycled it to Shelvey. Then for McGinn to allow Murphy all the time and space in the world to find a willing head in the 6 yd box.

This wasn’t a performance that can be shrugged off as just a bad day at the office. Since NY day we’ve been outplayed in 12 out of 13 Prem games, with jawdees at home being the exception. And Jack has only missed 5 of the 13. That’s 12 bad days at the office, in 13 games.

Is it a ‘Long Covid’ effect? Who knows, it would be unfair to dismiss it completely, but surely a bit of rotation would have helped over the last few months. Using subs when they have time to do something, instead, DS uses his subs as a ‘timewasting exercise’ after 85+. Surprisingly yesterday he used them early, down mainly to Traore’s injury and Ramsey’s drowning impersonation.

How the heck we have so many points thus far, is a miracle.

Ah well, Onwards n Upwards