Mohamed Salah rarely makes public comments or statements but he has coming out swinging as he expresses his discontent with how Arne Slot and Liverpool are managing him this season.
Last season, the Reds romped to the Premier League title with Salah’s stunning form the primary factor behind the club’s 20th league triumph.
In all competitions, Salah scored 34 goals and assisted 23 in 52 games but this season has been a different matter entirely.
In 19 appearances, the Egyptian has just five goals and three assists and is one of many underperforming Liverpool players.
Yet, Salah has been the one dropped with the forward now suggesting he is being made an example of.
Mohamed Salah speaks out in stunning interview
Liverpool threw away the lead twice to draw 3-3 with Leeds United and squandered the chance to go into fifth place. This failure means they remain eighth.
Speaking to the press after full-time, Salah dropped some very unexpected quotes, firing shots at Slot and the club itself for their handling of his form this season:
Salah said: “I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.
“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.
“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.
“This club, I will always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I always will.
“It [the situation] is not acceptable to me, to be fair. I don’t get it. It’s like I’m being thrown more under the bus. I don’t think I’m the problem. I have done so much for this club.
“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. It’s football. It is what it is.”
Salah has every right to be furious
This season has been a collective failure from everyone at Liverpool bar a few select players, chiefly Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been simply extraordinary given the average performances all around him.
Salah, who is arguably the best player to play for Liverpool since Steven Gerrard, is justified in earning some room for error, especially given how the Reds are struggling as a collective.
Dropping someone of Salah’s quality for three consecutive games is a disgrace.
For reference, Salah’s eight goal contributions is one shy of Cody Gakpo’s contribution of nine. The Dutchman has cut a frustrating and predictable figure on the left flank. Yet, he has started every Premier League game this season.
Ibrahima Konate has been the worst performing Liverpool starter this season yet he gets chance after chance and is now costing the Reds’ some extremely points in recent games.
Only van Dijk and Alisson have done as much for Liverpool in recent history as Salah.
Now, you could argue it’s distasteful and unprofessional from Salah to come out and so publicly speak out against his manager and club but who has earned the right to an opinion more than the Egyptian King?
His comments are not helpful in the short term but it does shed some valuable light on the state of affairs behind the scenes.
