How did we all miss the massive Liverpool contract ‘hint’ Mo Salah gave us against Manchester United?

Editor F365
Liverpool forward Mo Salah celebrates against Man Utd
Mo Salah can't help leaving clues

Mo Salah has provided the biggest ‘hint’ yet over his Liverpool contract future, while David Raya’s double save has left one Sun bod all dazed and confused.

 

Cutting corners
David Raya made a very impressive double save against Atalanta on Thursday night. It was possibly immediately rendered entirely meaningless by this new Champions League format but it was very good indeed.

What it was not, though, is what Senior Sports Journalist and Football Reporter for The Sun, Jordan Davies describes:

‘Down to his right to palm away Retegui’s first attempt and then back to his feet like a tasered eel scrambling to his left to fingertip the follow-up header destined for the corner.’

It was very specifically not ‘destined for the corner’ whatsoever; it does little to dilute Raya’s excellence but the header was going straight down the middle of the goal.

 

The cost of living
There are a few other points of contention hidden within Davies’ report from Italy.

‘Another goalless draw against City would not be disastrous, but last season’s 0-0 between the pair ultimately cost Arsenal a first Prem title in 20 years, ending the term two points from glory,’ he writes. And that continues the gross oversimplification of a result which kept Arsenal top of the table at the time.

Being really picky, one might point to the actual last time Arsenal dropped Premier League points last season, namely the 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa three games after drawing with Manchester City, as the moment which ‘ultimately cost’ them in the title race.

But really it was when Arsenal went on a five-game run in December of three defeats and one draw. That was slightly more ‘costly’ than picking up a point at the Etihad to stay just ahead of the eventual champions.

 

Ripple effect
And then there is the claim that ‘right now, Arsenal couldn’t ripple a child’s paddling pool, let alone the back of the net’.

It was the first time they had failed to score in nine games. Also, as Europa League winners and only team to beat Bayer Leverkusen in the entirety of last season, Atalanta are actually quite good.

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Raya sunshine
Mediawatch can only really wonder what John Cross might make of his straightforward quotes piece for the Daily Mirror being sold this way by their website:

‘Mikel Arteta needs just one word to sum up David Raya after rescuing Arsenal’

To be fair, ‘Mikel Arteta needs just 70 words to sum up David Raya after rescuing Arsenal but we’ve randomly pinpointed one specifically for this headline’ is slightly wordier. But also far more reflective of the actual story.

 

Contract killer
It feels like the well of Mo Salah contract hints is already drying up and there is a while left before any sort of resolution presents itself.

But this Daily Mirror website headline proves there is no depths to which certain parts of the media will go in pursuit of any spare Salah clicks.

‘Mo Salah drops Liverpool hint as Reds legend wades in on contract saga’

The ‘hint’ is quite literally that he is playing well. Or, if you are David James: “I look at what Salah is producing in the shirt as a barometer to his desire and likelihood of signing a new contract.”

Mo Salah ‘drops Liverpool hint’ by continuing to indulge in his favourite hobby of battering Manchester United. It’s a cryptic message alright.

 

‘Cause you’re hot then you’re cold
Yet that headline is somehow better than these efforts from the Daily Express website:

‘Liverpool boss Arne Slot lays down Darwin Nunez ultimatum after freezing out £85m star

…and the Daily Star website:

‘Arne Slot gives Darwin Nunez ultimatum as £85m star out in the cold at Liverpool’

The ‘ultimatum’ for Nunez is to “work really hard” (which Slot clarified he had been doing), and the ‘freezing out’ the Uruguayan has experienced has resulted in him playing in every game this season bar the opening draw with Ipswich.

 

Curse of action
‘Roma legend Daniele De Rossi latest victim of managerial curse that struck Man Utd legend Solskjaer and Alan Shearer too’ – The Sun website.

Is being promoted into a position for which you are underqualified, on the simple basis that you once played for the club, and subsequently getting the sack really a ‘managerial curse’?

And good lord, Mediawatch was rarely fully convinced of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coaching credentials but bunching him in with Daniele De Rossi and Alan Shearer is a right old stitch-up.

 

JET pack
‘Ex-Arsenal star SACKED by club after being accused in £600,000 drugs plot’ – The Sun website.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas sure did ‘star’ for all 95 minutes of his entire Arsenal career.

 

Ref off

‘Women’s Champions League referee says she’s sick of being referred to as ‘the sexy ref’ after closing down her Instagram due to sexist messages’

How good of the MailOnline to alleviate that stress by including a picture of Emanuela Rusta actually refereeing in the main image, albeit  dwarfed by far bigger pictures of her in a bikini and a dress.

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