While the media, mostly in the UK, have had their critical say in the current Mohamed Salah vs Liverpool turmoil, his Egypt teammates and coach are fully on the striker's side as the Africa Cup of Nations approaches.
The likes of Jamie Carragher, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and more have all called Salah all manner of things. Disgrace, ruining his legacy, disrespectful, and so on.
But his countrymen are having none of it as they head to Morocco for AFCON next week, in the wake of Salah being left out of the Reds' Champions League squad.
"As footballers, when we get benched, we feel deeply sadness, frustration, even a bit of depression," Egypt and Al-Ettifaq striker Ahmed Hassan 'Kouka' posted to social media, "but we wait for that moment to come on, to make an impact, to show the coach why we deserve to start.
"That's the reality for most of us, but Mo Salah isn't 'most of us'," he continued, "Mo is in a different category like Cristiano and [Lionel] Messi.
"Players like that don't get benched, and if, for any reason, they start on the bench, you must make sure they're the first to come on, at 60 minutes, 65 minutes maximum... not 'not even coming in', that's just disrespectful to everything he's done for the club.
"Mo is not just a teammate," Kouka concluded, "he's a brother, a leader, and a legend for club and country. Keep working hard brother, every situation in life is temporary, moments like this pass, what stays is your greatness and your response."
The national team's head coach Hossam Hassan posted a photograph of he and Salah with the simple yet pointed message -- "always a symbol of perseverance and strength"-- while the likes of Mahmoud Trézéguet, Mohamed El Shenawy and Mohamed Hany all posted in support of the Pharaohs great.
"Liverpool's greatest legend of all time," posted Zico, while Mohamed Sobhy added simply "always the best".
It's the Pharaohs who are ensuring that Salah will never walk alone this week.
Losing it with you club is hardly new
Every once in a while, as Salah reminded us this weekend, football conjures up one of those chapter-turning incidents that shadows all that preceded it and shapes all that follows it.
Across the briefest of mixed-zone exchanges, or within the subtext of an informal chat with the club television channel, dynasties can be brought to a close, and seismic changes can be thrust inexorably into being.
When Roy Keane decided to go all in on Manchester United's younger players during that infamous -- and as yet, unseen -- interview with MUTV in 2005, it was clear that his 12-year tenure at Old Trafford was over, and there was no way back for him under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Similarly, as has been noted extensively in the media in recent days, when Cristiano Ronaldo outlined his dissatisfaction at the same club under Erik ten Hag in a pally chat with Piers Morgan in November 2022 he appeared to be sowing the seeds for his own second exit from the club.
Peter Odemwingie's ill-advised comments in the Queen's Park Rangers car park on January deadline day in 2013 burned his bridges at West Bromwich Albion, overshadowing the 30 league goals that had gone before, while the likes of William Gallas and Romelu Lukaku also accelerated their exits from Arsenal and Chelsea respectively after getting a little too transparent with the media.
Keane's rant 20 years ago, coming, ostensibly, from a place of demanding higher standards and levels of professionalism be restored, ultimately did little to dent his deity-like standing with United fans, while the Red Devils' own decline under Ten Hag and beyond retrospectively vindicated CR7 breaking ranks.
Steven Gerrard's flirting with Chelsea during 04-05 was ultimately forgotten by Liverpool supporters, even though Paolo Maldini could never quite again enjoy the unconditional love of the AC Milan fanbase after his own public criticism of the institution where he spent his entire career.
Football fans may be fickle at times, but publicly turning your ire towards the club where you are beloved will likely lead to a shifting paradigm, even if the exit door may not beckon immediately, or if supporter sentiment may not be eternally damaged.
Steve Nicol explains why he is 'angry' about Mohamed Salah's comments on his situation at Liverpool and relationship with Arne Slot.
Salah will be fully motivated for AFCON
Perhaps, far from coming at the worst time during a busy -- and increasingly demanding -- season for Liverpool, the Nations Cup is coming at a perfect time for the veteran, as it affords both player and club an opportunity to escape from each other's shadow, recalibrate, and allow each to focus on a world without the other.
Salah, rarely lacking for motivation, could well find himself even more galvanised than ever as he looks to prove to Liverpool what they're missing, demonstrate why he deserves to be the centre of attention once again, and remind potential suitors just what they'd be getting if they were considering approaching Fenway Sports with an appropriate offer.
As he proved a year ago, Salah is acutely aware of the relationship between on-field performance and any potential ongoing/upcoming contractual negotiations.
Then there is professional pride, the opportunity of doing something he's never done and, for a player who has never got his hands on Africa's grandest prize, of ensuring that this increasingly miserable season becomes another glistening chapter in his legacy.
"He'd never won a major trophy before he came to Liverpool," Carragher continued. "He's also the greatest player his country have ever had in Egypt. Egypt, in the Africa Cup of Nations, are the most successful nation. He's going there in a couple of weeks.
"Mo Salah's never won the AFCON," he added. "That is not me trying to put Mo Salah down as a player, I've just said he's one of the best players in the world in the last eight years, very few better, but what it tells Mo Salah and his agent is it's not about an individual.
"You weren't a big star before you came to Liverpool, you haven't really won anything with Egypt anyway, and all that's telling you is no matter how good a player you are, you need help from your teammates, your manager, and fans, and I think that's really important that he remembers that."
Beneath the bite -- and ignoring the weight of Mohamed Aboutrika's place in the pantheon of Egyptian football -- does Carragher have a point?
Regardless, Salah's disintegrating relationship and future with the Reds only increases the Nations Cup as a major landmark and the next notable episode in his career.
He's demonstrated in his career (albeit not recently) that he's a man for the big occasion, but regardless of his glories at Liverpool, his Egypt career has been mottled by injuries in crucial moments and failure in finals.
Wouldn't it be so very Mo to ensure that it's those twinkle toes and that once unrelenting eye for goal that ensure he returns to the centre of attention, rather than any discontent he may wish to air off the field...