Andrés Iniesta's stats make for alarming reading this season - no goals or assists in league football - but Graham Hunter says that's no reason to write off the Barcelona icon.
"I would say in his defence," Off The Ball's European football correspondent told the show tonight, "he has produced three assists in the Champions League.
"I genuinely think that over the years of knowing him he is a guy who suffers a little bit personally in terms of what is going on around him.
"Family, well-being, the damage that physical problems can do to your confidence.
"He's has a very difficult year. His wife - they lost an expected child. He took [Spain's poor] World Cup - he took that very much to heart.
"It's been a disruptive season ... [but] there have been moments when he utterly lifts this team.
"The front three of Neymar, [Luis] Suarez and [Lional] Messi are still more dangerous and enjoy their football more when Iniesta is in form.
"Great footballers adapt - I think we're watching adaptation - not a full downturn simply because he's 30."
Graham also discussed Real Madrid's fractious clash with Seville last night in which James Rodriguez suffered a metatarsal injury.
Joe and Nathan were joined in studio by The Irish Times' Emmett Malone for Thursday Night Football football, during which The Guardian's Paul Doyle also reported on the crazy scenes at the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Equatorial Guinea and Ghana.
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