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THE MO-GO ZONE

With ratings declining, it was inevitable ties needed to be severed without commissioning a new season of a cherished Liverpudlian mainstay. This is what happens when things get tired, they can never replicate what they were in their prime. It is no great shame to have such a long run, collect plenty of awards on the way and finally realise the industry has moved on and there is nothing fresh you can bring to compete with the elite rivals. Plenty of drama and joy was provided, testing the boundaries of what was possible and changing a nation in the process by challenging the establishment. But in the end, time caught up with Brookside and it had to go.

Mohamed Salah is following a similar path and has pre-announced that his time on Merseyside is coming to an end. “Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will be always one of you,” he sniffed. “This club will always be my home to me and to my family. Thank you for everything. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone.” It allows everyone time to plan tributes and for scriptwriters to pen a fitting finale. It has been a painful final series for the Egyptian, with plenty of tumultuous episodes and endings Arne Slot did not see coming, even if viewers could. Where previously Salah has been the hero, recently plotlines have turned him into a villain. His improvised Jimmy Corkhill-esque state-of-the-nation monologue at the Elland Road stage door caused much distress and upset – though being “thrown under the bus” was a bit too cliched even for one of the finest soap operas.

From that moment on, everyone knew what was coming. There have been a few twists and turns along the way, but Tuesday evening’s revelation was still a bombshell. As with any club legend, fans will remember the magic, not the negatives. The barren spells and seasons without medals will be long forgotten, left out of the historic montages, which include standing on podiums arms aloft and banging in the goals that have taken Liverpool to glory. Two Premier League titles felt out of reach when Salah joined from Roma in 2017 but he has played a leading role in distracting supporters from the reality of day-to-day life, something they will forever be grateful for.

It is unlikely Salah will move to Newcastle, more promising is a small house in Hollywood. He turns 34 in June but will be inundated with offers of what to do next on a lucrative tour where he can play his greatest hits, almost certainly at a slower pace. People and organisations have to evolve, Liverpool will be plotting their own Hollyoaks as we speak, in the knowledge nostalgia does not win leagues. Salah’s departure is close but not closed, offering a final chance for an explosive conclusion.

BEAUTIFUL WORLD …

“Though I have no real understanding of the mechanics of football, and can only nod along helplessly at complex post-match analyses, I do enjoy watching people who are enormously good at something doing that thing very well. And Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah … is truly, spectacularly good at playing football. The ingenuity of professional footballers always impresses me, not only because of their extreme technical skill, but because of the unimaginably rapid pace at which they have to make high-pressure decisions. For me, watching Mohamed Salah play football is not unlike staring up at the stars and contemplating the vastness of the universe: it makes my own life seem nice and small” – to 2017, when the author Sally Rooney told Big Website of her adulation for Mo.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join Luke McLaughlin from 8pm (GMT) for updates on Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Women’s Bigger Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When the doctors told me I could go on coaching, I focused on what I had to do for Romania. I spoke to the federation and they told me they couldn’t find a solution to the situation. I’m not in my best shape so I would have stepped away if there was another option available. But I insist: I can’t leave like a coward. We must believe in our chance to qualify” – Mircea Lucescu tells Emanuel Rosu how he is determined not to let illness get in the way of trying to realise his World Cup dream at 80 by guiding Romania past Turkey in the playoffs.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Manchester United’s disgruntled fan Tony Riley, chucked out of the seat his family has held as season-ticket holders for more than 75 years (yesterday’s Quote of the Day), will probably take no comfort whatsoever from his club’s 2025-26 Fan Engagement plan, published on the club’s website: ‘United with you on and off the pitch, we want you to feel connected to your team, club and community, no matter where you are in the world. We’ll listen to you, improve your experience and reward your loyalty.’ Seems the club didn’t listen, degraded the experience and stuffed loyalty down the hospitality suite’s toilet” – David Burnby.

Who would have thought that Gianni Infantino would make us pine for the days of Sepp Blatter? That said, I suppose a broken clock can be right twice a day, because this Fifa Series (yesterday’s Football Daily) sounds marvellous! You had me at the US Virgin Islands v American Samoa, but I’d happily sit down to watch Aruba v Macau and whatever random delights the computer has thrown up. How wonderful to see something rather than the same old, same old that dominate football” –Stefan Martens.

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … David Burnby. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.

RECOMMENDED VIEWING

Here’s Nicky Bandini with the lowdown on Italy, who take on Northern Ireland in their playoff semi-final as they aim to avoid missing a third World Cup in a row.

BOOK CLUB

Erling Haaland has broken many records in his young life so far and now he can add another to add to his list. But this time it has nothing to do with football. The raw milk-guzzling, goal-hungry Manchester City striker has splurged 1.3m Norwegian crowns (£100,000) on a 16th century manuscript of Viking tales – a national record for a book sale. The volume dates to 1594 and details the history of medieval Norse kings. We’re not sure what’s it’s rating is on Good Reads but we’re assuming it’s pretty high if he splashed that much on it. “I am living my dream, but unfortunately that is reserved for only a few,” he cheered while at once checking his privilege. “I have seen how books enable many people to dream and make their dreams come true.” The striker has donated the tome to his home municipality.

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

A man who sent racially abusive messages on social media to England’s Jess Carter has been sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

The Liverpool and Wales great John Toshack has been diagnosed with dementia, according to his son Cameron.

The FA is resisting lobbying from Manchester United to nominate a rebuilt Old Trafford as the venue for the 2035 Women’s World Cup final.

The Women’s Super League trophy will be redesigned for the 2026-27 season when the league expands to 14 teams.

Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor says the women’s game needs to be shown “more respect” after a decision to rule out Veerle Buurman’s goal in the first half of the Women’s Bigger Cup quarter-final at Arsenal was not overturned by the video assistant referee. The Blues lost the first leg 3-1.

Brondby’s Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Benjamin Tahirovic has followed his national team boss and apologised to Steve Cooper over accusations that he was dropped by his Pontypridd-born manager because of the upcoming Geopolitics World Cup playoff against Wales.

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has revealed that Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso has been so focused on the GWC playoff with Northern Ireland that he’s rarely off the blower. “Over the last few months I heard from him more than my mother,” he honked. “When I was out or not playing as much, he called me constantly.”

And Republic of Ireland defender Seamus Coleman, 78, reckons past agonising playoff defeats won’t linger before their semi against the Czech Republic. “The nation was hurt massively, but in terms of the current group of players I don’t think they’re dwelling too much on that hurt,” he soothed. “To see how the nation is feeling now is incredible and we’ve a duty to make them even happier.”

STILL WANT MORE?

Jonathan Wilson believes Mohamed Salah’s difficult end will soon be forgotten as the Egyptian takes his seat among Liverpool legends. Reds fan Chris Smith says that watching the Egyptian has been the thrill of his footballing lifetime. And here’s a picture gallery of Salah’s nine glorious years at Anfield and a quiz too!

Nick Ames reckons that Ipswich have hard questions to answer after the Nigel Farage PR disaster.

Who was the first player to announce their international retirement? The Knowledge knows.

And Chris Evans (not that one) has the unlikely story of the first English manager to reach a World Cup final. Nope, it wasn’t Sir Alf.

MEMORY LANE

Hey pop pickers, let’s go back to the 60s! 1967 to be precise. Releases on the Philips imprint that year included albums by Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield and Scott Walker. However, young Rangers striker Alex Ferguson has no time for blues, jazz, southern-inflected soul or arch interpretations of Brel. Instead he’s plumped for the latest easy-listening platter from the Ray Conniff Singers. Alright!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ‘TINHEAD’?