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Is Salah right to feel ‘thrown under the bus’?

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Phil McNulty

Chief football writer
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Mohamed Salah’s incendiary interview attacking Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and the club after he was left out of the draw at Leeds United contained one memorable soundbite that stuck out above many others.

It was the 33-year-old’s claim he had been “thrown under the bus” after a glittering Liverpool career encompassing all major prizes and 250 goals that put him third on their all-time list of scorers.

Salah’s outburst came after he was left on the bench for a third successive Premier League game as Slot tried to end a sequence of nine defeats in 12 games.

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Is Salah justified in feeling he is Slot’s scapegoat?

Salah has the selfish streak and pride that is the preserve of all the greats – as was seen when then Manchester United manager Erik ten Haag, a Dutch countryman of Slot, dropped Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of his second spell at Old Trafford in November 2022.

Ronaldo’s response was to give an interview to Piers Morgan on TalkTV in which he complained, as Salah has effectively done now, that he was “betrayed by the club”.

Manchester United and Ronaldo agreed, within days, to cancel his contract.

Salah’s contract will not be cancelled.

Liverpool would, if they sold, demand a sizeable fee for a global figure who signed a new two-year contract in May, but such is the Egyptian’s strength of feeling, reconciliation looks difficult.

It remains to be seen whether Salah will even get the farewell he hinted at when Liverpool play Brighton on Saturday before he heads off to the Africa Cup of Nations.

So does the evidence support Salah’s assertion that “it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame” and that “someone doesn’t want me in the club”?

Salah has been a shadow of his old self this season. For the first time, someone who looked at the peak of his physical and footballing powers last season has started to look his age.

The contrast in numbers is stark and unflattering.

He was the inspiration as Liverpool won a 20th title last season, scoring 34 goals in 50 starts in all competitions. This term he has made 16 starts, scoring only five times.

Salah’s ability to do defensive dirty work was also called into question, with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella suggesting they targeted Liverpool’s right flank in their 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in October because he was “always ready to attack”.

Not a problem when Salah is providing a regular supply of goals, but brought into sharp focus when they dry up.

He, more than anyone, has missed Trent Alexander-Arnold after his move to Real Madrid, the pair forming a magnificent partnership as Liverpool claimed major honours, including two Premier Leagues and the Champions League.

Alexander-Arnold played 147 line-breaking passes for Salah when the title was won last season, the most any player provided for a team-mate in the Premier League.

Former Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport: “Trent leaving has had an impact on Salah. Their partnership, if not exactly unnoticed, was almost taken as read. They are world class individuals, but it was also a partnership.

“They really complemented each other. Trent could go inside, draw people towards him, which freed up more space for Salah. And when Salah drove at people he had the ability to feed Trent because teams were backing off.”

Salah can also point elsewhere in Liverpool’s team and wonder why others have not received the same treatment.

Ibrahima Konate’s poor form is irrelevant as he is a central defender and Liverpool lack cover, but Cody Gakpo’s contribution on the left flank has been fleeting this season, the Netherlands international too predictable.

Florian Wirtz has offered little since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen while Alexander Isak, a British record signing at £125m from Newcastle United, has scored one Premier League goal.

And yet it is Salah who has been sacrificed.

Salah did not name names, but it is understandable a world class player and one of Liverpool’s all-time greats would feel he has been singled out

Has Slot’s decision to axe Salah paid off?

Liverpool’s head coach – whoever it was – would eventually have to handle a transition that would conclude Salah’s Anfield career. This task has fallen to Slot.

The fact it comes so quickly after Salah won last season’s Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year, the Football Writers’ Association Footballer Of The Year, as well as Premier League player of the year and the Golden Boot, makes it even more contentious.

No player has limitless credit – think Steven Gerrard being nudged towards Anfield’s door by Brendan Rodgers in 2015.

Doing nothing was not an option. Dropping Salah was a pragmatic choice to stop Liverpool being so vulnerable and more defensively solid. The champions have conceded 24 goals in 15 league games compared to 41 all last season.

Slot also spent £450m in the summer, the clearest signal Liverpool were moving into a new era.

Mo Salah: Never Give Up

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Slot said after Salah was dropped to the bench for the win at West Ham United, the first time in a Premier League game since April 2024: “No matter if he plays well or if he doesn’t play well, if he plays or doesn’t play, he will always be that top professional and that’s what he was in the last two days.”

It should also be noted that Salah had only been on the bench for three games in six days before making a rare, but as always carefully calculated, stop to speak to reporters at Elland Road.

Slot also had to plan for the short and long term, with Salah leaving for Afcon after the Brighton game.

The Dutchman must deal in reality not sentiment. He needed results quickly and Salah’s numbers have not read well.

Salah’s legs have not carried the pace of old. His dribble success is down to 23% this season compared to 56% in his first season. Can he still go past players?

Slot places great store in winning duels – and Salah’s rate is down to 28% from 38.7% in his first season.

Salah’s exclusion has, to an extent, worked, with Liverpool winning twice and drawing twice in his absence, including the vital Champions League win against Inter Milan in the San Siro.

Slot’s selection at West Ham provided a clear signpost to life without Salah, as the all-round strength of Dominik Szoboszlai was deployed in his right flank role with Wirtz dropping behind a striker to pull the strings.

He then used a diamond midfield in Milan, with Wirtz on the bench and Isak and Hugo Ekitike as twin strikers.

This means Slot can point to the fact Liverpool have not lost since Salah was dropped.

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GMB’s Charlotte Hawkins wows in Christmas party-ready midi dress that’s under £50

By in Entertainment News, News

Good Morning Britain viewers raved Charlotte Hawkins looked ‘absolutely beautiful’ in a Christmas Party-ready midi dress that’s up for grabs for under £50 – but hurry, it’s selling fast

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Christmas party season is upon us, and we’re all looking for that perfect dress to wow family, friends and colleagues at our next festive soirée. Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins may have just the ticket as she stunned in a pink velvet midi dress that’s the ideal formal piece to add to your occasionwear wardrobe.

What’s more, fans of Charlotte and those keen on copying her look are in luck, as we know exactly where to shop for the dress in most sizes for under £50. But you may want to act fast, as there’s no telling how long the stock will last.

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This beautiful pink velvet dress from Joe Browns is sure to be your go-to for nights out, family functions and festive events this holiday season. Whether you’re going to dinner or a winter wedding, the bold colour of this number is sure to give your ensemble an instant boost, turning heads in any room.

Promising added comfort from the dress’ stretchy fabric and floaty sleeves, this piece is so easy-wearing you’ll keep the party going all night long. Featuring a flattering V neckline, this dress also comes with a shaped underbust seam that accentuates all the right places for a form-fitting and flattering finish.

Retailing for £49, this number normally comes in sizes 6 to 18, though as of writing this size 8 is currently unavailable.

It isn’t just Charlotte who’s been loving this number, as plenty of rave reviews pour in from satisfied shoppers. One thrilled buyer beams: “Lovely shape and style. Good length and colour for me. Like the neck line and the flutter sleeves. It felt heavy enough to be luxurious.” Though they do note: “Could have done with another inch on the tummy as it’s quite clingy if you are not flat there. Got many compliments when wearing it.”

Further praise comes from this customer who writes: “I bought this for my friends wedding and it was everything I wanted it to be, comfortable, gorgeous colour, just the right length and very easy to wear whether I was sitting, eating or dancing. Lovely quality and a dress I know I can wear again dressed up like this weekend or for a less formal occasion.”

And a third shopper shares: “Lovely colour and fits perfect, sizing spot on. Great for Christmas and any function.”

Many customers did mention that the dress appears “Not as bright pink as in the picture”, but this shopper actually writes: “Beautiful dress, excellent fit. Not as bright pink as in the picture but I prefer that.”

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Fans of Charlotte’s ensemble took to the comments to leave their thoughts, with one commenter gushing: “Charlotte you looked absolutely beautiful this morning!” Another says: “Stunning babe as always.” And a third exclaims: “you look sensational ma’am!”

Venezuela’s crisis is not an oil grab but a power grab

By in News, World News

On September 2, United States President Donald Trump released grainy footage of a missile obliterating a fishing boat off Venezuela’s coast. Eleven people died instantly. The administration called them narcoterrorists. Venezuelan sources identified them as fishermen. Since then, the US military has conducted at least 22 strikes, killing 87 people, with investigations revealing that the first attack included a second strike to kill two survivors clinging to wreckage — a potential war crime under international law. On Wednesday, the US went on to seize an oil tanker in Venezuelan waters, an escalation the Venezuelan government described as “blatant theft” and an “act of international piracy,” underscoring Washington’s shift towards economic coercion alongside military force.

The Trump administration frames all this as “counter-narcotics”. Critics call it regime change. But the most dangerous dimension of this crisis has nothing to do with Venezuela at all. It is about the consolidation of executive power at home.

The oil narrative does not add up

If this were about oil, nothing about the current approach makes sense. The US produces more oil than any country in history, exporting millions of barrels daily. Neither America nor Europe faces an oil shortage that would require military intervention. Venezuela, meanwhile, sits atop the world’s largest proven reserves — 303 billion barrels — but its oil infrastructure is severely deteriorated. Production has collapsed from 3.2 million barrels per day in 2000 to roughly 900,000 today. The country’s pipelines have not been updated in 50 years, and restoring peak production capacity would require an estimated $58bn in investment, underscoring how far the sector is from posing any strategic threat that might justify military force.

More tellingly, legal pathways to Venezuelan oil already exist. The US could lift sanctions, expand Chevron’s operations, or reopen the energy corridor — measures that require neither warships nor circumventing Congress. In fact, Chevron’s operations in Venezuela represent 25 percent of the country’s total production, demonstrating that commercial access is entirely possible within existing frameworks. This contradiction exposes how little the current strategy has to do with securing resources. Trump’s own Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged the complexity, describing sanctions policy as a balancing act between displacing China and providing foreign currency to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The fundamental shift in Washington’s Venezuela calculus has less to do with oil companies and more to do with private equity firms and defence contractors — interests focused not on barrels but on reconstruction contracts, mineral rights and territorial leverage in a post-Maduro scenario. Together, these dynamics make clear that the logic driving US policy lies outside the economics of oil itself.

What emergency powers actually enable

The Venezuela narrative serves a different function: it provides the pretext for expanded executive authority through emergency declarations. Since 2015, the US has maintained a continuous “national emergency with respect to Venezuela” under the National Emergencies Act. This declaration unlocks access to more than 120 specific statutory powers, including asset seizures, commerce regulation and military deployment — authorities that bypass normal congressional authorisation and operate with minimal legislative oversight.

Trump has systematically layered additional emergency measures. In March, he designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organisation, expanded the legal definition of Venezuela’s government to encompass virtually any affiliated entity — from ministries to state-owned firms — and imposed 25 percent tariffs on countries importing Venezuelan oil. In August, he signed a secret directive authorising military force against Latin American drug cartels — a decision taken without coastguard involvement and relying solely on Navy assets, breaking with decades of maritime interdiction precedent and further consolidating executive discretion.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth framed the scope clearly when he declared that alleged drug operations “will not be controlled by cartels” and promised to “map your networks, track your people, hunt you down and kill you” — language more consistent with warfare than law enforcement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio went further, stating that the Maduro regime is “not a legitimate government” but rather “a transshipment organisation” that facilitates drug trafficking — a characterisation that redefines diplomatic relations as a criminal enterprise and justifies treating state actors as targets.

Congress abdicates oversight

What makes this deployment unprecedented is not its size — though assembling carrier strike groups, B-52 bombers, F-35 fighters, submarines and more than 15,000 personnel represents the most significant US military presence in Latin America since the Cold War — but the absence of congressional authorisation. Lawmakers from both parties have complained they were not provided with legal justification, target lists or evidence about those killed. The Senate has twice rejected resolutions to limit Trump’s military authority on Venezuela, leaving executive power in effect, unchecked.

Senator Lindsey Graham made the administration’s objective explicit, telling CBS that regime change is the goal and Trump “has all the authority in the world” to conduct strikes. Legal experts broadly characterise the maritime attacks as illegal under both US and international law. Yet classified briefings to congressional leadership — including recent sessions in which Hegseth refused to commit to releasing unedited strike footage — have produced no meaningful constraint on executive action.

The pattern emerging is one of expanding presidential discretion: once invoked, emergency powers become self-perpetuating tools that normalise unilateral military action. Rather than being used for targeted interdiction, they are increasingly employed to engineer confrontation and accelerate regime change — all without a congressional declaration of war.

The real cost

The most insidious aspect of this crisis is that it manufactures a threat precisely calibrated to validate expanded executive power. Oil does not provide that pretext — a foreign emergency large enough to activate military force — and label as terrorism does. This permits the exercise of authority without Congress, without oversight and, increasingly, without resistance.

Venezuela becomes useful not for its resources but for its role as a political prop in a constitutional drama. While Trump has openly threatened land strikes and stated that the airspace above Venezuela should be considered closed, the administration is quietly drafting day-after plans for what happens if Maduro is ousted — planning that proceeds regardless of congressional authorisation or international law.

The Venezuelan people, already suffering under economic collapse and political repression, now face the prospect of becoming collateral damage in someone else’s power consolidation project. More than seven million Venezuelans have fled abroad, and those who remain endure the escalating danger of a manufactured crisis designed not to liberate them but to serve distant political calculations.

This is not an oil grab. It is a power grab — one that uses Venezuela as a pawn while setting precedents that will outlast any single administration. The question is not whether Maduro’s regime deserves international condemnation; it does. The question is whether democracies should abandon their own constitutional principles to achieve regime change abroad. On the current trajectory, the answer appears to be yes — and that is the most dangerous precedent of all.

Inside Luke Littler’s new relationship with beautician girlfriend Faith Millar

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Luke Littler met Faith Millar at the start of this year and romance soon blossomed between the pair. Faith has been supporting the rising star at recent darts events

As Luke Littler steps up to defend his PDC World Darts Championship title, fans are curious about the young star’s new relationship.

The 18-year-old sensation, who became the youngest world champion in darts history earlier this year, is now dating Faith Millar, a 19-year-old beautician from Wigan who has recently become a familiar face in the crowd at his matches.

How did Luke and Faith meet?

Luke and Faith first crossed paths in February 2025, and according to those close to the couple, they bonded instantly. At the time a source told the Mail: “Faith and Luke met a few weeks ago. They just clicked and since then have spent quite a bit of time with each other.”

Though early reports suggested they were initially just friends, their chemistry quickly grew into something more. They live just 15 miles apart, as Faith is based in Wigan and Luke in Warrington, so this made it easy for the pair to meet up regularly.

On March 27, 2025, they were first photographed together publicly. Their picture was snapped moments after Luke won Night Eight of the Premier League.

Faith left the arena alongside him, with his arm wrapped around her. That moment solidified the rumours about their romance.

Faith supporting darts’ biggest rising star

Faith has been a supportive presence over the past year of Luke’s career. She has been spotted cheering him on at several major events and even joined him on stage when he lifted the World Matchplay trophy, which was one of the biggest wins of his season.

Friends say Faith has already spent time at Luke’s mansion and met his inner circle. According to the same source: “Faith has met Luke’s mum and dad and some of the friends he grew up with and she’s been round to his mansion a few times. But there’s no big story there — she’s a very ordinary, very sweet, normal girl.”

Although she has tried to stay out of the spotlight, fans quickly noticed her at events, including a BoohooMan launch she attended beside Luke where she attracted attention despite her best efforts to be discreet.

Luke’s past relationship

Before Faith, Luke was in a ten-month relationship with Eloise Milburn, who was first publicly seen with him during his astonishing breakthrough at Alexandra Palace in 2023.

The pair were seen sharing a kiss on New Year’s Day in 2024 and again after his Premier League Darts triumph in May. However, the couple split in July 2024, reportedly because they struggled to find time for one another as Luke’s schedule became more packed with sporting events.

Luke Littler’s career continues to soar

While his personal life is also of interest to fans, Luke’s achievements on the board have been even more remarkable. After becoming the youngest world champion in history by beating Michael van Gerwen 7-3 at Ally Pally, ‘The Nuke’ has collected nine PDC (Professional Darts Corporation) titles and recently overtook Luke Humphries to become the world number one.

Tonight, he begins his world title defence against Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas in the opening session of the PDC World Darts Championship.

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Speaking to Sky Sports about the upcoming game, Luke said: “Yeah, very happy with it. It’s all about getting past that first round and it won’t be easy, but I’ve just got to try and get past Darius first time round.”

Our Yorkshire Farm’s Amanda Owen says ‘it all went wrong’ after being rushed into hospital

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Our Yorkshire Farm star Amanda Owen has opened up about a medical emergency when she was rushed to hospital

Our Yorkshire Farm star Amanda Owen has revealed how the birth of her first child took a frightening turn, admitting “it all went wrong” after she was rushed into hospital during what was meant to be a planned home birth.

Amanda, widely known as the Yorkshire Shepherdess, has opened up about the complications she faced when delivering her eldest daughter, Raven, at a time when the UK was in the grip of the foot-and-mouth crisis. The outbreak severely restricted movement in the countryside, and for Amanda, then a first-time mother living on the remote family farm, it shaped her entire birth plan.

Speaking on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time, she said: “I mean, if you think about it, I’ve had nine births and everything that everyone predicts and says will happen doesn’t, you know? Basically, my first baby, Raven, she was nine pound two, and completely stuck, and I was having her at home.

“She was a sort of planned home birth, because of course we’re in the throes of foot and mouth, then. So my plan was, you know, to stay at home, give birth, and not venture out of the farm.”

Comparing the restrictions at the time to the far more recent Covid lockdowns, she added: “I mean, in a way, foot and mouth was the rural version of Covid lockdown.”

But the delivery quickly became an emergency. “Yeah, and it all went wrong, and she got stuck and I ended up having to go into hospital, literally, with a baby completely stuck. I didn’t know that your body goes into a permanent contraction, but it does. It’s not good. I had the caesarean, and of course it was, like, well, you know, now natural birth could be an issue.”

Despite that warning, Owen went on to have eight more children — Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clemmie, Nancy and Reuben — each with varying and often unexpected birth experiences.

She recalled how predictions about baby size proved wildly inaccurate: “Yeah, and then eight babies later. You know, everyone’s like, oh, if the first one was nine pounds, you know, the next one is gonna be huge.

“Well, Reuben was, like three pound. So it was like, he just fell out after Chinese takeaway. So, you know, to me, everything everyone has ever predicted has gone the opposite way.”

Owen’s reflections come amid ongoing public interest in her life following her split from husband Clive in 2022. The pair, who spent more than two decades together running Ravenseat Farm and raising their nine children, have continued to co-parent and work on the land despite separating.

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Their family life was made famous through the hit Channel 5 series Our Yorkshire Farm, which followed their daily routines, challenges and the unique upbringing of their children in the Yorkshire Dales.

Eight UNIJOS Students Killed In Road Accident

By in News, Nigeria News

The University of Jos (UNIJOS) community has been thrown into mourning following an accident that claimed the lives of eight students of the institution.

The crash, involving a trailer and a bus conveying eleven students, happened around 2:30 a.m. opposite Unity Bank along Zaria Road, Jos, Plateau State.

According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Plateau State Sector Command Public Education Officer, Peter Longsan, seven students were found dead when responders arrived at the scene.

READ ALSO: One Killed, Others Injured As Armed Criminals Attack Church In Anambra 

Another victim died in the hospital, bringing the total fatalities to eight.

The remaining three students, all male like the deceased, are receiving treatment.

An eyewitness told Channels Television that the bus was travelling at high speed and attempted a wrongful overtaking.

This caused the driver to lose control before colliding with the trailer.

FRSC Sector Commander, Corps Commander Olajide Mogaji, said a detailed investigation was underway.

Mogaji urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to avoid night journeys, speeding, dangerous driving, and driving when fatigued or under the influence.