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This is such an exceptionally sad, depressing turn in Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool story. Feeling like the club have thrown him under the bus, admitting he no longer has a relationship with Arne Slot, that it “seems like someone does not want me” at Anfield, and is strongly hinting at being forced out in the January window is not the treatment, legacy, nor conclusion his history-making contributions deserve. It just wasn’t meant to be like this. His hurt is evident, and he’s clearly succumbed to his emotions by revealing all of this publicly, but Liverpool do not need more harm right now. And this is damaging. It will also understandably impede how many will view him. Crisis feels a soft description. Salah seems particularly vexed by being framed as Liverpool‘s problem when that is counter to the truth and players in worse form keep their places in a system and approaching that is heavily flawed. He also seems annoyed that his talks in private with the manager and club haven’t answered why his situation has changed so drastically. “I asked but I didn't see an explanation. I knew I wasn't going to play.” Reading between the lines, there‘s a sense he’s being scapegoated and sacrificed to remedy some recruitment errors that have led to an unrecognisable Liverpool on the pitch. However much Salah is hurting and whatever he is feeling, this doesn’t tally with ‘The Liverpool Way.’ And goodness, he deserves infinitely more than this mess.