Arne Slot appeared to take a pointed dig at Mo Salah in a tetchy press conference exchange on Friday.
Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this week (via BBC), the Egyptian winger voiced ‘concerns’ about the mentality within the current Liverpool squad, saying: “You need people to come early to the gym and people look at them – ‘Oh he go to the gym, so I need to go’.”
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The 33-year-old habitually posts photos of himself working out on his social media profiles, and did the same again in recent days as he recovers from a thigh injury which has curtailed his involvement in his final month as a Reds player before departing in the summer.
Slot aims thinly-veiled dig at Salah
After addressing questions about Liverpool’s on-field leadership and mentality when speaking to the broadcast media on Friday, Slot later fielded a query about Salah’s midweek comments in an exchange with the written press.
It was during his reply that the head coach seemed to take aim at the winger by pointedly saying (via The Times): “The standards are not only important in the gym. It’s also on the pitch, OK? You understand me? Without me saying anything?”
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A tasteless public swipe from Slot
It’s difficult to interpret this as anything other than Slot taking aim at Salah over a decline in matchday output this season and perhaps over-emphasising the importance of gym work.
There was already friction between the pair in December when the Egyptian publicly declared that his relationship with his head coach had deterioriated, off the back of being benched for three games in a week and not playing in two of them (Sky Sports).
They smoothed things over sufficiently for the forward to return just before leaving for the Africa Cup of Nations, and he’s been starting regularly since that tournament, but a tally of just 12 goals this season is by far his lowest in a single campaign for the Reds.
It’d be fair to claim that Salah’s form has declined significantly over the past year, but his status as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever player is beyond question, and it’s a shame that Slot has aimed a tasteless dig at the legendary winger so close to what’ll be an emotional Anfield farewell.
It feels like something that the Dutchman didn’t need to say in public, and it certainly won’t do anything for his already dwindling popularity among the fan base.
Hopefully there’s still time for the Egyptian King to make even one more appearance for the Reds and to sign off with a goal, so that his closing chapter will be a happy one.
Nonsense. Far from tasteless, he’s bang on. Salah has been a shadow of himself the whole season, and looks like he doesn’t care anymore. Should have been shipped out after his tirade.
Slot should be gone already. He has already changed the dynamic in the squad. It’s clear to see. If he doesn’t like a player then he doesn’t play them regardless of how important it could be. He’s doing with it with Chiesa all season and now with Salah
Slot behave…. a legend of the club truly just being Mo and being a million percent professional and he gotta react publicly… Slot machine is broken please go. YNWA…
Sorry JK, but I disagree (in part). Yes, Salah is a shadow of himself, and his earlier tantrums this year have not shown him in a good light. His decline is in part, if only in part, down to other changes – to the way we play, the way we distribute the ball, change of personnel, etc. – but there’s no question he’s declined. He’s not wrong about the fall off in standards and attitudes though, and Slot is very wrong to be defensive about this. We’ve seen it even more in recent weeks – complacency, coasting on last year’s title, a lack of seriousness and leadership from key players who you might hope would the backbone of the first eleven over the next few years. Slot is talking about going on holiday in a few weeks like this season has been fine and there is the problem – he is not (and cannot sustain a team at) elite level. He is out of his depth but too arrogant to see it.
Correct , but mo has had zero assists compared to last year , he didn’t direct his comment to anyone unlike slot , who like you say is totally out of his depth , because he’s trying to play Dutch style possession slow football , wound down the training blaming klopps high intensity training on injuries. But here we are with a number of players out injured so he’s wrong on that score too . Arrogant and deluded of his own failings
You have a player like that, you play to his strengths. This tippy-tappy football isn’t to his strengths and is honestly boring
Another tasteless comment. If Salah has been off form this season, what has the whole team been? Or maybe we should ship the whole team out somewhere in the Atlantic? Truth is that the team is bigger than Slot and he’s looking for scapegoats
I agree with you if they do not intend to play Salah in the same 433 which he excelled last season, they should have let him go in the summer. However they renewed his contract for 2 years. Our best player and best paid player last season is not being utilized properly this season. Whose fault is it? Why waste the $ and destroy your best player of last season?
Don’t try to make a story out of it. He meant it’s important to do it on the pitch too. What the point of going to the gym 24 hrs a day but you can’t deliver on the pitch ? Hes not training for iron man.
Has arne slot performed on the pitch this season? He keeps deflecting blames to others but never himself. Liverpool fans do not boo the manager for nothing.
I’m sorry but am I missing something? Salah is just a player being paid by the club, Slot is the boss. Salah this season isn’t good enough and all hes done is moan. If he isn’t performing or doing his job then he shouldn’t be in the team. Maybe he should’ve focused on getting himself back in form and helping with integrating the new players instead of making everything about him. Thanks for what you’ve done Mo but maybe grow up a bit before you leave at the end of the season.
I’m sorry but you cannot expect a plumber to do his job if you give him a cleaver.
I agree with Slot. It’s not tasteless; it’s facts!
The fact is slot has failed in his duties as a head coach and our team is in a mess today. The exodus of the senior players from our golden era tells you the reality.
I agree that Salah has poor this season, but at the same the manager should go. Can’t understand what system he plays. Just think he is overrated as a manager. Go for Alonso or Gerrard
Salah is and will always be a legend, Slot will never be a legend. In fact he will hardly be remembered!!
When big name players are asking to leave before their contract is up, it means there are internal problems we are not seeing! Mo isn’t the only player to ask to leave, Alison as aslo asked with a year left. This is a huge concern, and points to how Slot is handling/talking to players.
The team performance has been poor this season as a collective and not down to any individual. So blaming Mo is outrageous. The tactics and positional placement of players this season is on Slot and the sole reasons Liverpool have played badly this season.
Slot has shown this season he is clueless when it comes to the Premier league and how to win games. He constantly complained about the low block, yet attempted himself in the biggest game of the season and failed miserably at it.
The Premier league is not for Slot and if he is now publicly attacking our once great players, until he came alone. He should take the Ajax job while its on offer!!
Slot has not earned the right to criticise Salah. He was fortunate to inherit Klopp’s team at their peak. The players are clearly not as fit as they were under Klopp, and Slot has done nothing to improve them, nor to integrate the expensive signings. He needs to go now so Liverpool can bring in a new boss for the pre-season
This is 100% spot on. Slot lacks the qualities we are used to.
Slot hasn’t a clue as to what Liverpool Football Club is. It’s not just about playing the game, it’s a family and he doesn’t get that. He tore apart a winning team last summer right after we lost Jota when the players were grieving. He brought in players and concentrated on them and their style of play and ignored Salah, the Golden Boot man. No wonder Salah was angry. Slot keeps on getting it wrong.
That’s the fact
What a difference a year makes, we won the premier league and it was won by one man Salah. Salah had 34 goals and 23 assists, we wouldn’t have won it without Salah. After the last game when we lifted the cup there was an interview and Salah was asked has anything changed the way you’ve played this season.
Salah said that slot had given him more freedom to attack and less responsibility in the defensive part of the game. Slot even confirmed this later on.
So why anyone is complaining about the work rate of Salah is beyond me. Salah has never been in the team for tracking back and tackling, he’s in the team to score get assists and to win games.
When things go wrong as they have this season people always look for a scapegoat, someone to blame. Salah is not what he was fair enough, but this season he’s still scored 19 goals and has 10 assists. He’s still Liverpool’s best player.
I would ask why slot dropped him in the two champions league games against PSG?
Why hasn’t slot criticised others, like wirtz, Gakpo, Alexis mac allister, konate, isak, gravenberch, frimpong, Kirkez ect.
We were were once called the mentality monsters
That’s long gone under this manager
You have to ask what slot is doing in training?
The players have been on holiday all season.
One man doesnt win a league, dude – get a grip. In any job if you’re paid to do a certain job and you don’t do it and you’re as bad as he is, you would be punished. He has been poor, and when others play badly you’re all saying drop him, but not with Salah
Mate, what about arne slot? He is paid to do his job as a head coach but he doesn’t do it well. Is fsg going to sack him or not?
So Slot replaces him with Frimpong and continually plays one of the best midfielders at right full and always has a spot for the one-trick pony Gakpo. If his training and tactics are so good, why are we behind in ground covered in over 30 games? Slot is a joke.
I will NEVER defend SLOT. This guy let go Diaz and kept instead Gakpo. Slot is an agent of disintegration. Last SS it was Klopp. When he brought his players, he FAILED! Salah has all the right to criticize Slot. SLot has only been a slot. PERIOD!
The guy changed the way Salah plays, took away the services and expects salah to give the same output. Why not we take away all the Dutch contingent from his staff list, replace them with an English contingent and ask him to continue to coach the team? Anyways, he is always losing or drawing games with his current Dutch contingent staff…
Slot should go. He destroys the players and the Liverpool system of play. He blames some players whom he doesn’t like but not himself. Why doesn’t he blame VVD (the captain) Alisson or even Robertson? He destroys Salah’s style of play and that is why Salah cannot perform well this season. Salah is right to advocate training in the gym – then you are strong enough to perform on the pitch. Slot should go no matter what.
What has arne slot done for team on the pitch this season? Another boring draw against a team who has not won for 6 consecutive games and we actually looked more like losing…
Salah was trying to shame some players into getting fitter in the gym without naming anybody in particular, slot should have backed him up instead of firing back with a disrespectful comment clearly aimed at Mo
Slot has zero man management skills , couldn’t motivate a kid in a toy shop