Loris Karius starts, Dejan Lovren named captain and this is real life

Even Karius and Lovren know this isn't great.

One step forward for Liverpool and a sobering realisation that they still have another pile of steps to go if they're ever going to get real with themselves. The signing of Virgil Van Dijk was money well spent, however much money it was, but they're still suffering the consequences of a meek transfer policy for over a decade when they constantly tried to fill out their squad and, by doing so, left their squad full of average players - at the upper end at times. Sunday's team sheet is a testimony to that. One injury to their star January signing and the team - or the back five at least - looks as grim as ever. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/952512252955021317 Ahead of the visit of the unstoppable Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp rolled out a Liverpool rearguard that won't exactly make Kevin De Bruyne and co think once, never mind twice. Dejan Lovren was recalled in place of the world's most expensive defender of all time and, for whatever reason, Loris Karius was picked to return to goals. Suppose it's much of a muchness between him and Mignolet. Klopp, at least, recognised the need to explain his decision to recall Karius but he didn't really explain - just basically said that he could stay in nets if he does alright.

"With goalkeepers you have to do it like this," the Liverpool manager said. "Usually I could say it's a decision for today but if Loris now is able to perform, he will stay in the goal."

And, with regards to Lovren getting the armband, it was just a case that he has been there the longest - even though there's no place for him on a proper Liverpool team going forward.

"He is, together with Emre, the longest-serving [player] of the team. "I realised after I made the line-up that obviously there [were] none of our usual captains on the pitch and we had to make a decision. "It was a logical one with Dejan's age, how long he was at the club. It's for the game - all good."

It's never logical that Dejan Lovren would tell Salah or Mane what to do. It's never natural that the rest of a team of grown men would have to look to this guy now as the leader. But you scratch the surface of the Liverpool squad and that's what you're left with - Loris Karius and Dejan Lovren for your captain. The club must stop accepting mediocrity if they ever are to make real progress again.