An alternative take on our current state with cautious optimism

A few hours before the match with Inter a thought came into my mind which I haven't really been able to shake off. For the last few dreadful weeks, everyone has been terrified as we sink to new lows continuously. It's felt like things have to get worse before they can get better.

With Salah coming out and frankly quite idiotically saying all he said to the press, the one positive I've taken away is the fact that it will lift a weight off the shoulders of everyone - Salah, Slot, the players and all of us.

Salah: While it seems like he gave very little thought to the timing and method, I feel like these are feelings that must have been lingering for a few weeks at least as he eventually confronts the path to...aging, frankly. Giving the press a piece of his mind will have come after at least some consideration for what happens if he has already played his last game for the club.

Slot: The owners have to own the club being bigger than the player and will step up support of the boss at a time when he probably needs it. Sure he might still be sacked if things go worse from here, but the backing (as event-based as it may be) will help at least a bit at a time when he needs his own mojo back as well.

The players: This is the big one. Know that friend who seems unhappy for weeks before saying what's on his mind which may even be obvious to others? That's Salah. That's one of the most important players and legends for the club in the same dressing room and in the same training sessions. As professional as he is, there is no way for me to believe the players wouldn't have had some idea of his upset state. And when you're a senior player, your attitude is magnified as you are a force multiplier. This is why it's a shame Mo never came out to lift spirits and gave the kind of post-match interviews that arguably VVD can't and Szobo can. He went in the exact opposite direction, even if unintentionally, and probably sucked energy out of the squad at a very difficult time before he spoke to the press.

Us: I think (knock wood) this was the "it has to get worse before it gets better" hit that was needed. There's now no awkwardness around benching or even potentially selling Salah as things are out in the open and most people feel that the club is always bigger than the player. My guess and obviously hope is that we will now see a mental weight come off the team's collective shoulders as they navigate the path ahead.

Then again, it's also possible this is just overthinking and overly optimistic and the squad is still struggling to cope for more foundational reasons (squad depth, tactics, etc.) and will lose a few before Xabi replaces Slot.

Tl;dr = Silver lining to Salah's press rant could be that it lifts a weight off everyone's shoulders and lets things move forward without having negative energy drain the team. I could also obviously be completely wrong.