Four minutes into stoppage time, the ball skidded awkwardly along the touchline beside the dugouts, miles away from Liverpool’s goal.
Inter Milan’s Petar Sucic looked certain to carry play forward as his teammates scrambled for a last-gasp equaliser.
But before he could take another stride, Alexis Mac Allister flew in from nowhere—clean tackle, man down, danger gone.
Ordinary? On the surface, yes. Midfielders do that for a living.
But in that split-second moment lay something far more telling: a team showing, through actions rather than speeches, exactly where their loyalties still lie.
The Noise After Salah’s Outburst
To understand why that tackle mattered, you only had to listen to the chaos kicked up since Mohamed Salah’s explosive comments at Elland Road.
His “thrown under the bus” line ricocheted through fan channels and social media with the speed of an alarm bell.
To many, it sounded like he had publicly undercut Arne Slot.
Salah’s words carry weight. When he speaks, supporters lean in.
And in the 72 hours that followed, plenty of people convinced themselves the dressing room had splintered and the manager was losing the plot.
The Outrage That Follows Modern Football
One Liverpool fan in Milan summed up the wider mood perfectly—and unintentionally comically—when he vented to Sky’s cameras pre-match.
Red-faced and fuming, he insisted Slot had run out of road. “He’s got to go!” he barked.
It’s emblematic of today’s football culture: extreme takes, zero patience, no room for nuance.
Teams aren’t allowed to be in transition; managers aren’t allowed to figure things out.
It’s either paradise or apocalypse—nothing in between.
Slot Isn’t Hiding From the Truth
Let’s be honest: this season hasn’t been good enough by Liverpool’s standards. Slot knows it better than anyone.
Performances have drifted, the usual steel has been missing, and their title defence has collapsed.
He isn’t naive. Slot has already experienced the brutality of the business—he once found himself sacked at AZ Alkmaar despite doing impressive work.
He understands that in football, sentiment counts for nothing when huge investments are at risk.
But FSG Haven’t Lost Faith
What’s been lost in the shouting is that Fenway Sports Group actually want Slot to succeed.
When rumours popped up linking Julian Nagelsmann to Liverpool’s job last month, the club shut it down immediately.
They weren’t shopping for a new manager—no matter how much the loudest critics wanted them to.
And the caricature that Slot somehow coasted on Jurgen Klopp’s foundations all the way to a 20th league title? Nonsense.
Last season, his in-game adjustments were instrumental in crucial results—like that unforgettable 2-2 against Fulham with ten men.
Have People Forgotten the Hodgson Years?
Some of the anger thrown at Slot borders on amnesia.
Liverpool fans don’t need to dig deep to recall the days of Roy Hodgson, a League Cup exit to Northampton Town, home defeat to Blackpool, humiliation at Goodison, and a club teetering on financial ruin.
Fifteen years ago wasn’t ancient history—it was a warning about how quickly things can unravel when panic replaces perspective.
A Performance That Answered Critics Without Speaking
Which brings us back to the San Siro. No Salah, no sulking, and certainly no slump.
What Liverpool produced was a throwback display: organised, spirited, and relentless.
Yes, the decisive penalty had a slice of fortune, but this wasn’t a lucky win.
Slot’s team started sharply, stood firm when pressure mounted, and leaned on leaders—most notably Alisson—when it mattered most.
If there were fractures inside the squad, an Inter Milan side unbeaten at home for three years would have ripped them open. They didn’t.
Slot’s Message: It’s About the Team
Afterward, Slot stayed true to his personality—modest and measured.
“All the players showed huge commitment,” he said. “This is not about me.
It’s about us sticking together in a difficult moment.”
The players followed the plan. They fought for each other.
They fought for him. And they did it after one of the most turbulent spells of their season.
The Salah Conversation Still Awaits
Of course, the story isn’t finished. Salah will return to the AXA Training Centre, and there must be a frank conversation between him and Slot.
Ideally, the Egyptian apologises privately and publicly.
His criticism would have carried far more weight had Liverpool collapsed in Milan—but instead, the team restored order on the pitch.
What Comes Next?
Liverpool head into their next stretch with renewed clarity.
The pressure won’t fade, the scrutiny won’t soften, and Slot knows the storm isn’t over.
But what happened in the San Siro showed something far more encouraging than a single win—this squad still respects their manager.
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