A couple of days after he announced his imminent departure from Liverpool, the torrent of tributes to Mohamed Salah had slowed to a trickle. After all, there are only so many ways and times to say what a brilliant player he has been.
But to keep the pot boiling, Salah took to social media and posted a photograph of himself looking lovingly at his trophy cabinet at home. As you do.
Salah is not going to bow out of Anfield in a blaze of modesty, that is for sure, and everyone will feel compelled to take an active part in his farewell tour.
Arne Slot is probably rehearsing his lines. The timing of Salah’s announcement means Slot will be late to the party. Very late.
Jurgen Klopp has already been there, eulogising the Egyptian in his own inimitable way and reminiscing about the Salah/Mane/Firmino days.
“The Mo movie is a beautiful movie,” said Klopp. “It’s a beautiful movie with a happy end. It will be a great day mid-May when everyone is allowed to say goodbye. It will be pretty special.”
Yes, it should be pretty special. But it will not be pretty special if Liverpool vs Brentford on the last day of the season is a playoff for a UEFA Conference League spot.
It certainly won’t be pretty special for Slot.
Perhaps the Klopp love-in on his charitable return to Anfield and the Salah news came at a good time for him. Those narratives curtailed the inquest into the defeat at Brighton.
But as he is asked about Salah’s long goodbye ahead of the FA Cup trip to Manchester City, Slot could be forgiven for wondering if there will be more than one farewell tour over these next eight weeks.
The fantastic achievement of winning the Premier League in his first season in English club football should mean Slot has enough credit to be pardoned an underwhelming follow-up campaign. But you suspect it will not.
The remaining fixtures this season will determine his future. If Liverpool do not have Champions League football on next season’s schedule, it is hard to see Slot still in charge.
For Liverpool to have Champions League football next season, he needs marquee players to step up to the plate.
And not just Salah. Let’s be honest here. Whether or not Liverpool are in the Champions League next season is now irrelevant to Salah.
The players with the greatest motivation to secure Champions League football are those who made big-money moves to the Premier League champions.
Florian Wirtz put in an outstanding two-goal performance for Germany in a 4-3 win over Switzerland on Friday and Hugo Ekitike had two cameos for France - including a scoring one against Brazil - that should have sharpened him up for Liverpool’s run-in.
And Alexander Isak should be back in action when the international break is over.
Even though Liverpool’s final Premier League placing does not really matter to him, Salah’s farewell tour might give him extra motivation to produce his best.
But what Slot really needs is for last summer’s headline signings to live up to their billings between now and the end of the season.
Otherwise, Salah might not be the only one on a farewell tour.
