It has been a slow tectonic shift in which class-based party allegiances gradually gave way to what we now recognise as identity politics and the rise of populist anti-elite sentiment.
"But I like the idea that all those contract things are not done by me, but by someone else, because in this league you need all of your time to prepare your team for the upcoming game. It hasn't been difficult for me, because it hasn't been difficult for the players."If it had been difficult for the players, then I would have spent a lot of time talking to them and getting them ready for the next game.
"But I think maybe because we thought we were trying to compete until the end of the Champions League, and for the Premier League, that helped also the players to just stay focused on: 'We can do something special over here.'"And I think the most special moment for Mo and for Virgil is not their contract extension this year, but it was and is us winning the league. And this is what you live for, it's not the contract - they already have enough money, at least that's what I think!"Salah has admitted finding Slot initially "quite tough" and recently spoke of the pair
during pre-season after a lacklustre warm-up in a training session, about doing more and setting a good example to younger players.Does saying that to a player of that status come with risk?
"I'm not so stupid that I just say this out of the blue, bam," said Slot. "And I think I'm smart enough, and I think the main thing you have to do as a manager, if you want to bring your message across... you have to do this in the right way.
"So it wasn't only that - probably I gave him 15 compliments during that conversation, and then I showed him how he did the warm-up."The talks lasted less than two hours and sharp divisions soon emerged. The Kremlin made "new and unacceptable demands", according to a Ukrainian official. That included insisting Kyiv withdraw its troops from large parts of its own territory, he said, in exchange for a ceasefire.
While there was no breakthrough on the crucial issue of a truce – as expected - there is news of one tangible result.Each side will return 1,000 prisoners of war to the other.
"This was the very good end to a very difficult day," said Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Serhiy Kyslytsya, and "potentially excellent news for 1,000 Ukrainian families."The swap will take place soon, said Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led his country's delegation. "We know the date," he said, "we're not announcing it just yet."