Hope you're able to get back to it soon. "Miserable" is indeed precisely how I felt.

(Also - there's a reason football clubs, like musicians, don't charge as much as they *could*).

Going to disagree here. The rule about the definite article is not fixed - the Eiffel Tower, but not the Buckingham Palace; the Taj Mahal, but not the Westminster Abbey; the Kabaa, but not the Times Square; the Etihad, but not the Anfield. It's a mix of custom and culture, not rigidity.

Could also have been.

Even if I think it'd be wiser not to say anything - this is a grenade if not nuclear approach after all - exactly that. "Salah acknowledges lack of form, vows to do better, struggling with relationship with Slot" would have made it bigger than him alone. Even if not intended, it now looks selfish.

The fact that the aggregate performances have been better without him in the side notwithstanding, that's not the point. No-one is saying other players also aren't carrying their weight (Ibou et al), it's that he isn't taking responsibility for the fact he hasn't been good enough in the interview.

If he doesn't believe that he's to blame - accountable for - the team's poor performances then I would suggest he's not particularly good at self-reflection.

There'd certainly be more sympathy had he said "I've been trying to find ways to improve, as I know I'm not playing well, but the coach won't speak to me about what I can do". If you're going to do an interview like this - especially in times of a crisis - you own up to your own failings. He didn't.

No, but let's not pretend the circumstances are the same, those he's pointed out himself in the interview - that he's been repeatedly dropped for the first time in his life, and at least from the interview quotes doesn't acknowledge that he isn't playing well and doesn't take responsibility for it.

I don't think that's in any way clear at all.

There's no sense from the interview that he's tried to work it out - it would perhaps be different if he'd said something like "Slot refuses to discuss his choices or how I can improve". So if it's an appeal for sympathy, It's likely going to be in very short supply from fans (and perhaps inside).

The underlying presumption that past contribution equals entitlement to start games is jarring - at least from everyone I talk to, the demand that he be benched is unanimous, and I think that's a pretty common view. It's not disregarding everything he's achieved, simply a recognition of poor form.