Mohamed Salah has forced Liverpool to make a decision after revealing he is no longer linked with Arne Slott. Right now, it’s hard to see a path forward for both star players and head coaches. Whatever happens next, it will be a huge shock for Liverpool.
Salah pauses for a moment for journalists, and by doing so on rare occasions, he ensures his message is conveyed with maximum impact. After suffering the humiliation of being left on the bench for three straight games, he was forced to respond to what he felt was a lack of respect.
That sentiment is clear in Salah’s words, but it also feels like opportunism. Would he have stopped if Liverpool had beaten Leeds United and moved up to fifth in the Premier League? It’s natural to question the timing.
Mohamed Salah was left on the bench after playing three games in a row against Leeds and as an unused substitute.
Salah, who has remained silent for most of the season, has chosen to speak out to send a message about his future, with the sloth player faltering after failing to get the seven points manager Jamie Carragher said he needed to save his job against West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds.
Significantly, Slott was the only one of Salah’s colleagues whose name was mentioned. Intentionally or not, he has made it “me versus him.” But Salah may claim he did it himself by forcing Slott to watch from the bench as Liverpool twice took the lead at Elland Road.
The indisputable takeaway from Salah’s bombshell interview is that he just wants to play football again, but it’s unclear whether that will happen at Liverpool. Next Saturday’s game against Brighton could be the last game before going to AFCON, but it will likely be a farewell to Anfield.
Salah was accurate in his words and never said he wanted to leave. “I’m going to Anfield (against Brighton) to say goodbye to the fans and I’m going to the Africa Cup, but you never know what’s going to happen when you’re there.”
After this, it’s hard to see the world he plays in next week
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In the Sunday Supplement, Jonathan Liew and Dan Kilpatrick share their thoughts on why Mohamed Salah has decided to go public about his relationship with Arne Slott now.
What went wrong with Salah and Slott?
This scenario would have been unthinkable a year or even six months ago. Salah praised Slott, who became the Premier League’s top scorer and led Liverpool to the title in the Dutchman’s first season in charge. Apparently it was made for me.
However, Salah has not performed well enough this season to establish himself in the team, with his goal and assist return in the league having more than halved. Slots are struggling to recover from a slump, but they can’t afford to carry passengers.
The Liverpool manager gave Salah the freedom to abandon most of his defensive duties last season. However, that only works when the goals are flowing. Now they are depleted and the rest of the team needs help, leaving few options in the slot.
Perhaps the straw that broke the camel’s back was Salah’s half-hearted attempt to hit back with a tackle on PSV left-back Mauro Junior for the Dutch side’s second goal in the 4-1 Champions League win at Anfield. That game was before he sat on the bench.
Of course, Salah quite rightly claims that none of Liverpool’s attackers have boasted glory this season, but all but Kodi Gakpo have been left out of the squad. The difference with Salah is that he sees himself on a different level.
“I don’t have to fight for my position every day because I’ve earned my position,” he said. “I’m not better than anyone, but I’ve earned my place.” There is no denying that he has contributed to more goals than anyone else in the Premier League since his debut.
Can’t get rid of the “Ronaldo style” Salah?
He cannot drop Salah without risking his wrath. Manager Jurgen Klopp had a similar experience when he was on the bench at West Ham in his final season. That was the last time Salah was left out of the starting XI, until Slott did the same against West Ham last month.
When results slumped and title hopes disappeared, Klopp pulled Salah from the team, ending the German’s fairytale farewell dreams. The two sides got into an argument on the touchline, with Salah telling reporters after the match: “If I spoke today there would be a firestorm.”
While Slott may argue that Klopp’s performance has been light in comparison, these two examples highlight Salah’s commanding status in the game. Few players would dream of taking on the role of manager of a club as big as Liverpool so publicly. This is a Cristiano Ronaldo style power play.
The Portuguese did just that in his second spell with Manchester United, earning him a call-up from Erik ten Hag ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and an eventual move to Saudi Arabia. Many speculate that this is the most likely outcome.
What’s next for Salah – can he still stay?
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Sky Sports’ Kabe Solhekor gives his opinion on Mohamed Salah’s “sensational” abuse and his future at Liverpool.
Salah, who signed a two-year deal with Liverpool in April, clearly believes he is still playing at the top level and answered as much at Elland Road when asked if he believed his time on Merseyside could end this way.
“It’s going to end one way or another, but what’s in my head is, why does it have to end this way? Because I’m so healthy and I just won all the individual awards just five months ago, so why does it have to go in this direction?”
These are not the words of a man aiming for early retirement in Saudi Arabia. However, realistically, the Saudi Professional League is probably the only place the 33-year-old can currently earn more than £400,000-a-week.
Liverpool have time to find a solution and Salah knows that. If Egypt reach the AFCON finals, he will not return to Merseyside until late January. The transfer window opens at the beginning of the month, and that seems most likely to be the solution to the problem.
However, given the nature of Salah’s comments and the apparent lack of suitable suitors at Europe’s top level, it cannot be ruled out that Salah is biding his time before returning to see if Slot can survive a busy winter schedule.
