Post

Jim Boardman
@jimboardman.uk

Mo Salah says he’s been thrown under the bus, that his relationship with Arne Slot has broken down. Two days later, Slot says it’s “difficult” for him to know what Salah meant or who he was talking about, that he’d “have to guess a little bit”.

Jim Boardman
@jimboardman.uk

Slot admits he’s only spoken to Mo once since, in front of the other players, to tell him he’s not travelling. Did it really not cross his mind, instead of guessing, to have a chat with a key player from the title win and ask why he felt the need to go public? Rhetorical question.

4 reposts13 likes

BenATG
@bendevereux.bsky.social

I’m sure it did cross his mind - but also to signal to the rest of the squad that public insubordination will be rewarded with preferential treatment that “lesser” players won’t get would be the end of him

Jim Boardman
@jimboardman.uk

It shouldn’t be preferential treatment. It should happen with any player who crosses such a line. It doesn’t mean it goes unpunished, but it means they get their grievances heard - and hear some back. Doesn’t mean it justifies the action, but makes it easier to fix the underlying issues.

BenATG
@bendevereux.bsky.social

I’m sure that would happen if this was a normal week of training, but it’s not - they travelled back from Leeds (3rd league game in 8 days) late on Saturday and only had Sunday to prepare before flying to Milan yesterday. Changing the schedule on Sunday for Mo would be preferential treatment

BenATG
@bendevereux.bsky.social

(Too be clear, I think this might be too big a crisis for Slot to come through and there’s definitely worrying echoes of the end of Benitez - but I still think the right thing to do on Sunday was decide on his Milan squad and then give that 100% focus)

Reuben Armstrong
@reubenarmstrong.bsky.social

Possibly it suggests Slot feels he has already spoken to Salah enough. Maybe they’d already had a row before Leeds. Slot: “Of course, before Saturday the two of us have spoken a lot, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.” Salah clearly didn’t think they were getting anywhere so went public. 🤔

Alan Hoey
@alanhoey.bsky.social

He said he spoke to him twice before Leeds and then during training today. What’s wrong with that? You also have Salah smiling his head off in training and he’s caused absolute mayhem during a crisis. Whilst he was benched he had the face of thunder but once he vented he’s happy as larry.