So the last game in the US ended with a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool and I have to say when I saw Liverpool’s first goal, I had to do a bit of a double take, because the commentator said ‘Salah’ but there was no trademark big curly hair racing through.

Is this the latest ‘marginal gain’ for the Egyptian as he tries to maintain his status as one of the best in the Premier League?

If it is it seemed to work yesterday and you have to give him credit of a good run and finish. I’ve seen a bit of online discourse about Arne Slot and what a big miss Klopp will be, about the style of football Liverpool will adopt now and there are some Liverpool-focused journo’s who have said it is different, but the foundations of Klopp’s Liverpool are still there and that’s what it looked like with their chances in that first half. Quick counters, back to front quickly in transition, catching defenders cold, I think also we hardly covered ourselves in glory defensively.

Arteta talked up the value of the tour in the US, how good it has been from a fitness exercise and how pleased he was to have Riccardo integrating in to the group, but I suspect there’s a little bit of him that would have been a little disappointed with the defending for the Liverpool goals, and certainly in that first half he might have wanted more at the back. It’s not like we didn’t create chances though; Gabriel Jesus had the best one in the first couple of minutes and as Arteta said for the opening exchanges before Liverpool got the ball, we were the better team.

The goal we scored looked like a classic pre season one. A tap in from Havertz with bodies in the box, so not really a lot to learn from it, then the second half sounded like it was a bit of a fightback from us, although I’ll admit I didn’t watch it; got a job and work to do and all that jazz so staying up until 3am then getting up at 6am for a morning run wasn’t exactly on the cards for me. But we had a go and we put Liverpool on the back foot in the second half and so maybe Arteta can take some positives from it.

And of course we will look like a different team in just a few short weeks time. We’ll have Rice anchoring the midfield, or at least in at left eight, which will add a different dynamic for us and we won’t see Partey as overrun as he was at times against Liverpool. I would also expect to see Saliba and Gabriel deal differently from those runners in to the box as Kiwior and Gabriel did for Liverpool’s second goal. Plus we can’t forget the starboy himself; Fabio Vieira has done ok in that right wing position, but he isn’t Bukayo and so now as the players all arrive back in London for the game against Leverkusen next week, the focus has to be on getting the starting XI for Wolves up to speed and ready to go.

It was interesting to see Timber not even in the squad yesterday though. Apparently it’s just a precaution and I suspect maybe it was so Arteta wasn’t tempted to get him on, but it’s good to see that his minutes are being managed after that nasty injury last season. He will play plenty of football this coming season (providing he is fit of course!)_ so I don’t there will be too much cause for concern amongst player and manager.

The other news that emerged yesterday that I thought I’d touch on was that we are apparently advancing talks with Mikel Merino for circa €30million, as well as in talks with Marseille for Eddie for around €20million. ON both counts those numbers feel a little off to me. Given Mason Greenwood went to Marseille for around €30million, you’d expect there to be a closer match to that for Eddie. I get it, some people have said look at the wage discrepancy, but equally look at the experience discrepancy; Eddie has played more games in more competitions and more in the Premier League (nearly 30 matches more). The wages should probably be knocking his price lower but I’d have thought he’d be knocking on the doors of north of £20million and just under £25million, so £17million seems low. And it won’t help the narrative that we aren’t good sellers. Then at the other end of the spectrum the £20million we were supposed to be getting Merino for is now closer to £26million. I know, I know, what does a few million mean amongst friends, but I guess for me it’s the perception more than anything else; it doesn’t exactly feel like we’re improving our reputation as high buyers and low sellers.

Hey, we win the Premier League next season and I’m not giving a monkey’s about that, to be fair, but at a time in which there’s so much noise and ‘banter’ about everything in football, it’s nice to feel like you’ve got a deal, right?

Anyway, that’ll do for me for tofday I think. You enjoy your Thursday. I’m off to the big smog of London for a day in the office and some leaving drinks/karaoke tonight.

Laters peeps.