Mohamed Salah vented his frustration at being left out of the Liverpool starting line up against Leeds United with an explosive outburst at both manager Arne Slot and the club, leaving his future in serious doubt.
The Liverpool forward was overlooked for the third straight game and remained on the bench for the entire match despite the Reds needing a winner late on in their dramatic 3-3 draw at Elland Road.
And the Egyptian let rip to reporters after the match, claiming the club “has thrown me under the bus”, that his relationship with Slot has soured and that promises made in the summer have been broken.
“I’m very, very disappointed to be fair,” Salah said. “I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why.
“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I’m on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they kept their promises.
“I don’t know why this is happening to me. I don’t get it. I think if this was somewhere else, every club would protect its player. How I see it now is like you throw [myself] under the bus because he is the problem in the team now.
“But I don’t think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club. The respect I want to get. I don’t have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone, but I earned my position.”
Salah Admits He No Longer Has Relationship With Arne Slot
Salah’s vicious rant then turned towards the man that has relegated to a secondary role in recent Liverpool games: Manager Slot.
“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club.”
After matching the record for most goal contributions in a Premier League season as Liverpool became champions of England in Slot’s debut term in charge, Salah and the Dutchman are now seemingly at odds.
The reigning Premier League player of the season made his frustrations abundantly clear, before revealing next weekend’s clash against Brighton could signify a marquee moment in his career.
Salah Hints at Potential Final Game at Anfield
Salah revealed he already knew he wasn’t starting against Leeds United, prompting a phone conversation with his mother with one very specific objective.
“I called my mum yesterday [and] I said, ‘come to the Brighton game’. I don’t know if I am going to play or not but I am going to enjoy it.
“In my head, I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen. I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup, because I don’t know what’s going to happen when I’m there [at AFCON].”
This revelation prompted Salah to be asked if he believed the upcoming Dec. 13 game against Brighton was going to be his last for Liverpool, to what the forward said, “In football you never know. I don’t accept this situation. I have done so much for this club.”
Salah signed a new two-year contract back in April that tied him to the club until the summer of 2027. However, Salah’s words appear to open the door for a departure, with reports suggesting the Saudi Pro League could be a potential destination.
“I thought I was going to renew here and end my career here, but this is not according to the plan. I’m not regretting signing for the club for sure.”
It’s clear Salah’s situation at Liverpool has reached boiling point and his future is very much up in the air. The situation will continue to unfold in the coming days, but for now, Salah also made sure to make his love for Liverpool abundantly clear.
“This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always.”
Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jamie Carragher Name-Checked by Salah
Salah’s main grievance revolved around a lack of recognition. The Premier League’s fourth-highest scorer of all time cited was keen to ram home his lofty status with a comparison to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
“With respect, I love everyone,” he began. “I love Haaland, I will talk about him. [But] I am the current top goalscorer in the Premier League. He is not yet. He is going to win it hopefully and that is fine for him. I love him and he knows that. I am top goalscorer, best player, winning the league in such a style, but I am the one who has to defend himself in front of the media and fans.”
Harry Kane is one of the three players above Salah in England’s historic scoring charts and also got name-checked by the Liverpool forward: “Can I give an example? It’s silly but I am sorry. I remember a while ago, Harry Kane was not scoring for 10 games, [and] everyone in the media was like, ‘Oh, Harry will score for sure.’ When it comes to Mo, everyone is like, ‘He needs to be on the bench.’ I am sorry, Harry!”
That sense of media injustice had a name put to it by Salah: Jamie Carragher. The former Liverpool defender has repeatedly criticised the club’s current icon, calling for him to be dropped and then come out and speak to the media. Now that he has, Salah is expecting a backlash. “Tomorrow Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that’s fine,” he shrugged.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Thrown Under The Bus’—Mohamed Salah Lets Rip at Arne Slot, Liverpool.
