Mo Salah’s final week as a Liverpool player is now being dominated by his statement on the club’s style of play, rather than the farewell he deserves.
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The Egyptian’s call for us to return to “heavy metal” attacking football has sparked a huge reaction, especially with Arne Slot already under pressure after the 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa.
Now Wayne Rooney has delivered one of the strongest verdicts yet.
Rooney says Salah has been selfish
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, via BBC Sport, Rooney said Salah should not be involved against Brentford.
The former Manchester United striker said: “I find it sad at the end of what he’s done and what he’s achieved at Liverpool. It’s not the point for him to come out and aim another dig at Slot.”
Rooney then questioned whether Salah can still play the type of football he appears to be demanding.
He added: “He wants to play heavy metal football, so he’s basically saying he wants Jurgen Klopp football. Now I don’t think Mo Salah can cope with that type of football any more.”
That will hurt many Liverpool supporters because Salah has scored 257 goals for us and helped win every major honour available.
However, Rooney believes the 33-year-old has put himself before the club at the worst possible time.
Slot faces huge Salah decision
Rooney continued: “I think Salah’s trying to vindicate himself and make himself feel better because he’s had a very poor season.”
He added: “So I think he’s been very selfish in what he’s done on the two occasions.”
The ex-Everton forward then went even further, insisting Slot should make a major statement before the Brentford game.
Rooney said: “If I was Arne Slot, I’d have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game.”
That feels almost impossible to imagine, given this is supposed to be Salah’s Anfield goodbye, but Rooney’s point is about authority as much as selection.
Chris Sutton has already claimed Salah “will have known the damage” his post would do to Slot, and this row is now overshadowing everything.
Liverpool still need to secure Champions League football, and that has to matter more than any farewell, however emotional it may be.
🚨 Arne Slot is making HISTORY at Liverpool… just the wrong kind. 😳📉
❌ First time Man Utd doing the double over us in a decade
❌ Never lost 20 games in a season, until Arne Slot
❌ First time losing 6 of 7 games since 1902, until Arne Slot.
❌ PSV Eindhoven had never beaten Liverpool FC in 112 years, until Slot.
❌ Manchester City hadn’t done the double over Liverpool in 89 years, until Slot.
❌ Plymouth Argyle hadn’t beaten Liverpool in 68 years, until Slot.
❌ Liverpool hadn’t lost a home domestic cup game by 3+ without scoring since 1934, until Slot.
❌ Manchester United hadn’t won at Anfield since 2016, until Slot.
❌ Conceded 5 league 90th-minute winners in one Premier League season, until Slot.
❌ Nottingham Forest hadn’t won at Anfield in 55 years, until Slot.
❌ Fulham FC hadn’t won at Craven Cottage vs Liverpool since 2011, until Slot.
❌ Galatasaray SK hadn’t kept a clean sheet vs an English side since 2012, until Slot.
❌ Chelsea FC hadn’t won back-to-back vs Liverpool since 2014, until Slot.
❌ Crystal Palace FC hadn’t beaten Liverpool at Selhurst Park since 2014, until Slot.
❌ Newcastle United FC hadn’t beaten Liverpool in 9 years, hadn’t won a cup game since 1995, and had never beaten them in a final, until Slot.
❌ Liverpool hadn’t lost to a Championship side since 2017, until Slot.
If he was such a great coach, then how come most of the players underperformed this season? Why is it that the form of Salah, Van Dyjk, Konate, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Gakpo, etc all gone down this season? Slot was lucky to win the league last season because Klopp left him a great team. He then he decided to get rid of some of those players and get his own to prove that it was not because of the team that he inherited and it has all backfired on him.
Arne Slot loves breaking records!!