Liverpool are finally catching a break – albeit indirectly.
In what’s bound to be remembered as an inexplicably disappointing season, the Reds have looked rather lifeless on the pitch, with their recent loss to Aston Villa representing another nadir.
Whatever your take on his comments, it’s not great that Mo Salah felt compelled to publicly eviscerate the team’s playing style, effort and overall spirit – and if you’re Arne Slot, you can’t feel too good about your job security, either.
Injuries have not always helped matters. To that end, Liverpool are finally getting some good news on Wataru Endo.
The 33-year-old has been sidelined since he suffered a foot injury during the match against Sunderland in February. He has had just 455 minutes of game-time for the season, with only one assist to his name.
However, Endo received a call-up for Japan’s World Cup squad, which suggests that he’s ready to make a full return. As such, he could yet be available for the final game of the Premier League season.
“I’m glad to be in the Japan squad for the World Cup 2026,” Endo posted on social media after the news broke. “It’s an honour to lead this Japan team as the captain.”
Talk about a significant relief. It wasn’t long ago that he hadn’t even kicked a ball following his operation. Now, he’s seemingly on the verge of returning to action.
Of course, his presence in the Japan squad has done little to impact the squad’s World Cup odds, as evidenced via the various oddsmakers reviewed by the folks over VegasBetting.net. It may not even mean too much for Liverpool’s season – they have already slid to fifth in the Premier League table.
Still, this is a nice and much-needed break in the clouds from what’s becoming a nightmare season.
On the heels of Liverpool’s 4-2 loss to Aston Villa, Saleh took to X (formerly Twitter) and annihilated the team’s current direction. Here is the full scope of his comments, courtesy of Shivam Pathak of ESPN:
“Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it. Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games.”
These comments haven’t just raised eyebrows. They’ve sounded the alarm.
Many are speculating this is Salah’s attempt to let the world know everything is not okay inside the dressing room, just as many supporters seem to be hoping for Slot’s sacking. Plenty of Kopites must be wishing that Xabi Alonso, who’s just been named the new manager at Chelsea, didn’t turn down the job at Anfield.
What comes next for Liverpool remains to be seen. As of now, it does not seem like the C-Suite is prepared to sack Slot. Perhaps that changes after Sunday’s fixture against Brentford, depending on the outcome of their Champions League qualification fate.
At any rate, in what has devolved into a season worth forgetting, the Endo injury update comes as welcome news.
Unfortunately, it’s not the same as carving out a direction, or a return whcih will single-handedly ensure that the club stops spinning its wheels. Qualifying for next season’s Champions League wouldn’t even quell much of the disquiet.
Having won two league titles, three domestic cups and the Champions League during the Salah era, the way in which this is all coming to close can’t be considered anything other than troubling – even sad.
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
