There was a time, not so long ago, that footballers belonged to teams. Today, the same teams chase the stars, just so that their kit gets brighter.
On the afternoon of September 15th, Michael Oliver blew the final whistle, rolling out the carpet of relief for the Liverpudlians. Liverpool had just conquered Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 at Wembley Stadium, with goals by courtesy of Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino.
The atmosphere among the Scousers should’ve been that of contentment but, oddly enough, one group of people found their tongues tinged with bittersweetness. The reason being Mohamed Salah’s inability to have his name on the scoresheet.
That group of people were in need of a scapegoat, and eventually found one in Sadio Mané’s decision-making.