Tottenham fans lost patience with Omar Marmoush on Saturday, and the Egyptian found himself at the heart of a storm of criticism. Then a heavyweight of English football stepped in to defend him.
Former England international Danny Murphy backed Marmoush after a disappointing display in the goalless draw between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest in the third round of the Premier League.
A goalless start and a moment that raises questions
Marmoush moved from Manchester City to Tottenham over the summer. He started for the second match in a row with his new side, but he is still yet to find the net.
Against Forest he looked far from his best. The Egyptian managed just two shots, neither of them on target.
The moment that ignited the controversy came in the second half. Marmoush broke forward on a promising counter-attack, with Mohammed Kudus tearing up the right wing beside him, ten yards ahead of the last defender and perfectly placed to score from inside the box.
Rather than slide the ball across to hand Kudus a golden one-on-one, Marmoush chose to shoot himself and blazed it high over the crossbar, leaving his Ghanaian teammate stunned.
Murphy: it is the eagerness of stars, not selfishness
Analysing the match on the famous "Match of the Day" programme, Danny Murphy read the situation very differently, putting it down to hunger rather than selfishness.
Murphy said: "I don't think it will be a problem in the long run, because I see Marmoush as a special player, but it seems he is so eager to score goals and start strongly that he ignored Kudus."
The former Liverpool star added: "He sees him, and he knows where Andy Robertson is standing next to him, he is a top-class player, but his intense eagerness to give his team the win made him take the wrong decision at the wrong time. He also wasted a golden chance in the first half."
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The mystery of Marmoush's new position
Analyst Paul Merson picked up on a tactical point that may explain Marmoush's confusion. The manager, he noted, had deployed him in an unusual position.
Merson explained: "The Egyptian player should have dropped back, De Zerbi played Marmoush as the most advanced midfielder in the Tottenham line-up, while Conor Gallagher played behind him in the number 10 playmaker role."
That change came at the expense of striker Dominic Solanke, who started on the bench before coming on later. It all points to a player still hunting for his new identity within the Spurs system.