Arne Slot declined to confirm whether Mohamed Salah has already played his last game for Liverpool after the forward posted on X following the defeat by Aston Villa. The post referenced the club’s former attacking approach and called for a return to that identity.

Salah wrote: “That is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.” The message was widely interpreted as a criticism of the manager’s changes to Liverpool’s style this season and has divided players, supporters and club figures. Ex-Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney went in hard on Salah.

Slot sought to keep focus on the result ahead of Sunday’s home match with Brentford, a game that will determine Liverpool’s Champions League fate. A draw or better will secure qualification, while defeat would leave them vulnerable to being leapfrogged by Bournemouth if the Cherries beat Nottingham Forest. Only goal difference would separate them.

On selection and the fallout from Salah’s comments, Slot said: “I don’t think it is important what I feel,” adding: “What is [important] is we qualify for the Champions League . I prepare Mo and the rest of the team to be ready.” He stressed a shared objective with the forward: “We want the club to be successful.”

Slot also referenced last season’s success and the standards expected this term. “We were both part of giving the fans the title last year and we haven’t brought that same level this year. What we all want is to be the same success as last season. Will he play? I never say anything about team selection, so I won’t do that now. A lot of ifs but we know what we need Sunday.”

Slot suggested the manager-player relationship and training had shown no obvious disruption this week, but he kept team selection private until matchday.

Michael Carrick has articulated a clear mandate after being confirmed as Manchester United’s permanent manager. His initial comments underline an awareness of the club’s expectations and of where success must be measured.

In recent years Liverpool have matched United’s record of 20 English league championships. Manchester City have risen to 10 all-time titles, having been on just three when Ferguson lifted his final trophy 13 years ago. Those shifts in the domestic landscape frame the scale of the task Carrick inherits.

United have not been in a position to seriously challenge for a long time, yet the transformation Carrick has overseen since returning to Old Trafford as interim boss in January has been described as monumental. No Premier League team has matched United for Premier League points—36 from a possible 48 across 16 matches—during that period.

“[Winning titles is] where we want to be as a club and it’s not even so much for me. It’d be an incredible thing for me to be able to do, but just to see this club lifting trophies and winning leagues and challenging for Champions Leagues, that’s the buzz,” Carrick said in his first interview with his new title, speaking to ex-teammate Wayne Rooney for a special of the club’s in-house podcast .

“That’s what gets us out of bed every morning and [we want to] enjoy the grind of the summer and come back stronger for next season.”

The expectations at Manchester United remain exacting. Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho did ensure the club lifted three trophies in the first four years after Ferguson’s retirement, but neither came close to winning the Premier League and neither avoided being fired. That history is a reminder of the high bar Carrick must clear if his tenure is to be judged a success.

Carrick’s early record since January gives him a platform. The task now is to convert that momentum into sustained title bids and continental progress while meeting the standards the club and its supporters demand.

Pep Guardiola confirmed he will leave Manchester City this summer, saying he simply knows it is “his time” to depart and reflecting on the relationship he has built with the club and the city.

He recalled the early days: “When I arrived, my first interview was with Noel Gallagher. I walked out thinking, ‘O.K., Noel is here? This will be fun,’” and spoke of the bond formed over more than a decade. He asked not for explanations: “Don’t ask me the reasons I’m leaving. There is no reason, but deep inside, I know it’s my time. Nothing is eternal, if it was, I would be here. Eternal will be the feeling, the people, the memories, the love I have for my Manchester City .”

Guardiola framed his decision in terms of work and community, praising the city’s industrial roots and the determination he felt in supporters and staff. “We worked. We suffered. We fought. And we did things our own way. Our way.” He referenced testing moments that shaped the club and the city, including trips away and shared hardship, and singled out the response to the Manchester Arena attack as an example of the city’s values: “Not anger. Not fear. Just love. Community. Togetherness. A city united.”

He also spoke of private loss and public support: “Remember, losing my mum during COVID and feeling this club carry me through it. The fans, the staff, the people of Manchester, you gave me strength when I needed it most. Cris, my kids, my whole family, you were there as always. Khaldoon, you were there too.”

To supporters he offered thanks: “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for trusting me. Thank you for pushing me. Thank you for loving me.” He closed with a light note and gratitude: “It has been so f—— fun. Love you all.”

Before he arrived at City, Guardiola had already built an exceptional record: a three-time La Liga champion with Barcelona, a three-time Bundesliga winner with Bayern Munich and, at the time of his arrival at City, a two-time European champion.