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- This is the best picture of Lucas ever taken, and it's not even close. His iPhone must hold the most interesting information ever, like the date of Stewart Downing's last league goal or real-time tracking of the whereabouts of Doni. What's on the screen? I don't know, and I'm not sure I would be capable of comprehending it. Poor Lucas, who's as close to an angel walking amongst men as we have, can barely keep his eyes in his head.
- Two interesting bits from pre-match training at Tynecastle--first the discussion between Brendan Rodgers and Andy Carroll in which we overhear that his "hamstring problem" was actually a hamstring problem, and he was seemingly quite disappointed that he was likely to be shut down. Not just lip service that he wanted to stay and fight for his spot, and while he didn't get his chance, he was at least on board to work for it. The other piece is something most have picked up on already; Rodgers is clearly a fan of Jonjo Shelvey, and the moment between the two of them in which the manager talks about the young midfielder's future in a midfield three with Joe Allen and Lucas and Steven Gerrard in a wide role is an exciting proposition.
- Because of course Pepe Reina hits the crossbar for £20 on the first try.
- Having been in a fair number of locker/changing rooms from my own sports career, I'm continually fascinated by how simplistic the facilities in British stadiums are. I know Tynecastle's old and likely among the more basic as far as changing rooms go, but that's a small room for lots of men who wander around in their underpants at the break.
- That miss by Borini before the half was just...woah. And I remember a bunch of people giving him a hard time for trying to claim the own goal as his, but nothing here indicates that he was doing anything other than celebrating that they'd taken the lead.
- Graham McKinlay is some sort of laundry-completing wizard--when he folded that shirt on the table it looked like he was tying it in knots, and next thing I knew it was ready to be framed and hung on the wall. Also, not a bad job for someone who's spent his whole life supporting the club.
- The segment on Bill Shankly was mostly stuff we're already all familiar with, but it was interesting to hear Dave Kirby talk about his vision and the scope of what the club achieved in the time since his tenure ended. A bit unfair to draw an immediate contrast to Brendan Rodgers, although the talk about the importance of having a vision rings true enough. Comparisons to meeting a girl for the first time don't ring as true, however, as you can have a vision and eloquence and charm and then you have a date like the second half at West Brom and it's so long, chump.
- Tom Werner sighting! Rehashing one of his five talking points about the club. Good times.
- I might have lied about my favorite picture bit--this one of Glen Johnson before kickoff against Manchester City is just wonderful in the moment it captures. Maybe I'm being overly sentimental because of how well he's played this season, but impactful none the less.
- I'm in favor of drama and building a narrative for the sake of a story arch, and tonight's episode was one of the series' better ones, but it was a little painful waiting for the City match to kick off, especially knowing what's on the horizon. They get to that in the preview for next week, which promises (what looks like) another stern talking-to for Raheem Sterling from Rodgers, Lucas invoking You'll Never Walk Alone, and a shock ending to the transfer window that involves bringing in a player that we already saw in the dressing room of this episode.
