Jurgen Klopp has warned there is no room for sulkers in his dressing room s he insisted Liverpool will move after failing to reach the Champions League.
Mohamed Salah's social media posts on Thursday, shortly after Manchester United had secured a top four spot by beating Chelsea, caused eyebrows to be raised. Liverpool's star striker was aghast at missing out on the competition and admitted the group, collectively, had not been good enough.
Klopp insisted there was absolutely no issue with Salah - he saw him at the club's AXA training base on arrival Friday morning and had no reason for concern - and, if anything, was in agreement with the Egyptian that Liverpool had disappointed everyone by coming up short.
The manager's tone was markedly different, though, when asked if he was anxious that being out of the Champions League would lead to some casting an eye elsewhere. In the same he spoke about potential incomings who are only interested about that tournament, his message was clear.
Asked if he was anxious that Salah might want to leave, Klopp said: 'No worries - no. I only heard what he said, I couldn't read anything that could lead in that direction. Mo loves being here and Mo was part of, he said, apologies for what "we" did - not apologies for "what the other guys did."
'It is all fine. If ever a player would come to me and said: "Oh, we didn't qualify for the Champions League, I have to leave!" I would drive him to the other club myself. I would take the key and say: "Come in the car! Where do you want to go? I drive you."
'That would be something I never could understand - "Oh we didn't qualify for the Champions League! I need to work in the Champions League, so I go!" I am responsible for this mess, so you cannot go in these moments. It is not the case with Mo, not at all.
'And nobody else told me - they ask if they can have a longer holiday or whatever - but nobody asks me if after holiday they have to come back. So that was not in our conversation.'
There is no escaping the feeling of deflation amongst Liverpool supporters, and players, that the routine next season will be Thursday and Sunday for the most part but Klopp has vowed to attack the Europa League with everything he has - particularly with the final being held in Dublin.
Inevitably, revenue will be impacted. Liverpool generated £80million in the Champions League last season, winning the Europa League is worth £20million. Asked if he understood why it was viewed as a booby prize, Klopp said: 'What is a booby?! I needed to become fifth to learn that word.
'No, not for me. I understand where you are coming from, football is like that, on the level we usually perform it is about Champions League because of the money, because of the opponents and all this. And it is not that I follow in the last four years group stage games of the Europa League a lot.
'When you are in the CL you have a lot of other things to do but I love European competitions. And for me that's no difference. I know when you play there's no difference. There will be difficult opponents, different countries probably and in the end a massive prize to win.
'Not that I say now we will do that but we will try it, definitely. People may think "Ah, it's just the Europa League" but I am 100 percent sure that come the first whistle, Thursday night, whoever is the opponent, Anfield will be rocking. And that is all I need.
'If somebody wants to go through the whole year and think "ah but it's not Champions League!" then I cannot help that person. I don't know how you can help them.'