Arne Slot has spoken publicly for the first time since Mo Salah’s explosive interview after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw against Leeds on Saturday.
After being benched for three consecutive games, the Egyptian claimed that his relationship with the head coach had broken down and that ‘someone doesn’t want me in the club’ (Sky Sports).
The 33-year-old hasn’t travelled with the Reds squad for their Champions League clash against Inter Milan on Tuesday night, despite fellow attackers Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa missing out due to injury and illness respectively.
Slot spoke to the media on Monday evening in his pre-match press conference, and unsurprisingly at least 10 minutes were dedicated to questions about Salah after the weekend’s events. Here’s every word that the Dutchman said about the player, via Liverpool Echo.
Every word Slot said about Salah on Monday:
Slot on whether he thinks Salah was attacking him: “The only one who can answer that is Mo himself. I can guess but I don’t think that’s the right thing to do in this moment in time. It’s hard for me to tell who he means in that situation, to be honest.”
Slot on whether he’s spoken to Salah since the interview: “We have let him know that he isn’t travelling with us. That’s the only communication from us to him. Before Saturday the two of us have spoken a lot – sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.”
Slot on whether his relationship with Salah has broken down: “That’s not the way I feel, but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I haven’t felt that at all until Saturday evening, for sure.
“When I didn’t play him anymore, usually players don’t like the manager that much, but he was very respectful to the staff members and to his teammates and he trained really hard, so it was a bit of a surprsie when I heard he’d made those comments, but its not the first time a player hasn’t played. My reaction to that is also clear and that’s why he isn’t here tonight.”
Slot on whether Salah might play against Brighton next Saturday: “We are sitting here on an evening before a big game, a big fixture for us. There is only maybe 48 hours between the 3-3 [v Leeds] and sitting here now. After tomorrow we will look at the situation again.”
Slot on whether Salah may have already played his last game for Liverpool: “I have no clue. I cannot answer this question at this moment in time.”
Slot on why Salah hasn’t played much since the defeat to PSV: “We have struggled as a team more and more this season with the gameplan teams have against us. I’m not just talking long ball as teams often play against us.
“I’ve tried many solutions which is my job. We looked very vulnerable against [Nottingham] Forest and PSV so I decided to play another midfielder against West Ham, which we won.
“I brought him in at half-time against Sunderland and then I decided to play a bit of a diamond against Leeds. I could have played Mo off the right instead of Hugo [Ekitike].”
Slot on whether Salah has disrespected his position as head coach: “I don’t feel that my authority has been undermined.”
Slot on Salah saying that he’d been ‘thrown under the bus’ at Liverpool: “I’d have to know what he meant by that. Usually I am calm and polite but it doesn’t mean I’m weak. When a player says things like that, we have to react as a club, and you can see he is not here.”
“He has every right to feel what he feels, but if he has the right to share it with the media, then we have to react with it.”
Slot on whether Salah has made life more difficult for him: “It’s not about me; it’s about it being more difficult for the team and the club. Nobody likes being in this situation. It’s difficult to see staff members who work hard on a daily basis being affected by it, mainly the results. Mostly my thoughts go to that. I’m important to his situation as I pick the team, but my focus is on the team and not me.”
Slot on whether he was on speaking terms with Salah: “Yes we were, but it doesn’t mean we always agreed on things. I spoke to him twice in the two days before Leeds. I’ve already said a few times I didn’t speak to him (at length) after Leeds.”
You can watch the press conference in full below, via Liverpool FC on YouTube:
I have a few questions, just like most Liverpool fans.
Why have you dropped our best player who’s had a proven track record over several years. 250 goals and 100 assists from Salah, yet you won’t drop Gakpo.
Why can’t you sort out the defence at set pieces, we have the worst record in the premier league.
Did you agree with Richard Hughes selling Diaz, why didn’t you stop the selling of Diaz. Why don’t you have the final say on transfers,
Do you have any say on the replacement for Salah.
Who made the final decision to sell Salah.
Are you a yes man.
Have you lost the dressing room.
Will you resign if we lose the next three games.
Because he’s not been the best player this season by a country mile. He needs to work for the team, not the team works for him. What he’s done for the club in the past is great and much appreciated but the reality is that is the past, and that’s not good going forward. If it was, we still have Dalglish, Rush and Gerrard.
He’s not scoring, not assisting. His passing is awful. He gives away possession too many times and, worst of all, doesn’t try hard enough to recover possession and almost always pulls out of duels. Club before any player… always.
Mate, I agree his performance has dropped. The same has to be said of the rest except szoboslai and Alisson. The formation and tactics have changed and unfortunately Salah did not adapt to this change. Even without him, Liverpool only managed 5 points out of 9 in the last 3 games. Slot needs to remediate the situation quick as he is walking on tightrope.
Unfortunately the hierarchy at Liverpool is the head coach doesn’t override directors in charge of transfers. This is why I am skeptical if we can get any suitable candidates to replace slot at the present moment. Klopp certainly will not want to work under such structure. The club has to find someone else who is good and receptive to this structure.