How Liverpool’s hardcore followers reacted to Mo Salah’s return: DOMINIC KING watched Egyptian King’s comeback on the Kop, that is what he heard

They have seen it all down the years in Block 109, one of the Kop’s most boisterous pockets, and they know when they have seen enough.

It is why the pre-match chatter, following one of the noisiest weeks Liverpool have experienced in modern times, was to the point.

Mohamed Salah is an icon and revered as much as any player to wear a red shirt but that doesn’t provide an exemption from admonishment.

‘Clive Myrie was talking about it on News at 10 last night,’ said one season-ticket holder, who has had a seat in this part of the stadium since 1995. ‘Mo Salah on BBC News at 10? Not BBC Sport, actual BBC News! Honest to God! It’s been unbelievable.

‘Look, I love him but here one thing matters: it’s the name on the front of the shirt, not the one on the back. This is Liverpool.’

But this is a Liverpool team caught in a maelstrom. They say loose lips sink ships and you clearly haven’t been watching if you don’t think Salah’s incendiary sermon at Elland Road hasn’t led water to gush into this particular hull; what a task it has been to stop it capsizing.

When the equilibrium is threatened, the locals do not like it and the bewilderment Salah had caused was obvious, as those who meet up every other Saturday sifted through his words and dissected what it all meant.

‘Thrown under the bus for four hundred grand a week? I wish someone would throw me under a bus for four hundred grand a week!’ said one man, bursting with incredulity.

His mate offered a reasoned take, replying: ‘But it’s not like he hasn’t had a chance this season, is it? If he had been on the bench from the start, you could say, “all right, something is going on here”. But we all know he hadn’t been playing well.’

No, he hadn’t. So when he was brought back into the squad for Brighton’s visit, but not into the team, there wasn’t a murmur of discontent.

After a week in which he had led bulletins and back pages and been central to debates in bakers and barbers, it was time to focus on Liverpool.

There was no singing for the Egyptian as the game started with a bang, Hugo Ekitike getting the early goal that was so crucial to settling nerves. The young Frenchman was serenaded, as was Joe Gomez, who provided the assist.

Then came the unexpected turn of events. Gomez sank to his haunches, succumbing to another injury, and Arne Slot looked at the bench and summoned Salah to the fray.

It wouldn’t have been in his plans to do this but needs must and on he went, his first action almost leading to a second goal.

‘F*****g ’ell, ’as he turned over a new leaf?!’ came an exclamation from row 24. ‘Why has he passed? He’s never passed from there in his life!’

It was the kind of quick-witted remark that has been the bedrock of this place through time. They are sharp but they also know what good football looks like and they saw Salah play his most unselfish 64 minutes of the campaign, passing, running and pressing for a team that needed to win.

There would be an assist for Ekitike, too, and a significant one at that as it was his 277th goal involvement for Liverpool, the most for a single club in Premier League history, carrying him past Wayne Rooney.

No surprise, then, his name was sung from the rafters as it was again at the end when he spent two minutes walking around the stands, acknowledging the support he received. It looked like he was contrite, the vibe being more ‘see you soon’ than ‘goodbye’ but we’ll see how it all unfolds.

Back in the mixed zone, a little while later, Salah made another appearance. He couldn’t walk past without being asked if he wanted to share his thoughts for two minutes?

‘Oh God!’ he said, putting his hands to his head and chuckling, as microphones were pointed in his direction. ‘Two weeks in a row? Oh no!’

It was the correct decision. On the Kop, they wanted the noise Salah had caused to stop. This time, saying nothing was the right thing to do.