In Liverpool's duel with Southampton, manager Gopp's bold move to the bench unexpectedly galvanized a fighting spirit. Japan's Takumi Minamino proved his worth with a brilliant equalizer in the crucial match, and has contributed "double figures" so far this season. After the match, Kopp also apologized to the substitutes and said that Takumi's failure to get more chances to play was his own "mistake".
Facing the absence of Mohamed Sanaa, Shadio Vinny and Louls Dyas, Takumi Nanno got a rare start this season and managed to convert it into a goal. It was his first league start of the season, but has already scored three Premier League goals and 10 in all competitions. After Mohamed Sana, Shadio Vinny, Diego Zuda and Roberto Firmino, Takumi Minamino is the fifth Liverpool player to reach "double figures" in goals this season.
Gopp said after the game, "I made a mistake! I want to apologize! A lot of people questioned my lineup placement today, but I'm happy with it. For example, Javi Hierro, I can't remember the last time he played, and Gudis Jones lost the rhythm of the game. It was a mistake on my part that Takumi Minamino didn't get more playing time ...... It was a tough decision to bench players, but I really appreciated their response."
