Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool teammates expected him to produce some explosive comments, according to a new claim from reliable journalist James Pearce.
The 33-year-old’s outburst over the weekend has caused shockwaves in the world of football, with the Reds icon hinting at not playing for the club again after the 3-3 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League:
“I called my mum yesterday and told them ‘come to the Brighton game’, it doesn’t matter if I play or not, I’m going to enjoy it. We’ll see what’s going to happen, but in my head I’m going to enjoy that game if I play or not, I’m on the bench or not.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen now, but that’s going to be at Anfield, say goodbye to the fans before the Africa Cup, because I don’t know what’s going to happen when I’m there.”
Now, according to The Athletic‘s Pearce, Liverpool’s players half-expected Salah to do what he did on Friday, due to his behaviour at the AXA Training Centre:
“Some team-mates were braced for it, having noticed a change in Salah’s mood on Friday after he was informed by Slot that he would be on the bench at Leeds.”
Pearce also adds that the Egyptian’s “attack on the club” and Arne Slot “went further than anyone anticipated”, in what was a stunning moment from the attacker.
Is Salah threatening to fall out with his Liverpool teammates?
This suggests that Liverpool’s players may have been blindsided by Salah, in terms of just how far he went with his comments about Slot and his future at Anfield, following a legendary career there since arriving in the summer of 2017.
The most important thing is that he now doesn’t fall out with his colleagues, who may potentially lose respect for him after causing more disruption in a hugely testing season.
That said, it could be that they will back Salah over Slot, and the likes of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, preferring to see changes in the dugout and high up, rather than seeing the Liverpool legend move on.
Either way, this is a sad situation that the Reds could do without, ahead of crucial upcoming matches away to Inter Milan and at home to Brighton this week.
