Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has stated that Mohamed Salah's recent comments regarding the club's current state do not reflect well on manager Arne Slot. Salah took to social media on Saturday, less than 24 hours after Liverpool's 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa, to voice his frustrations. The Egyptian, who is set to leave the club at the end of the season, appeared to criticise Slot and the team's direction.
Salah's Rare Outburst
In a post on X, Salah wrote: "I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that. Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve." He added: "I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good."
Salah's reference to "heavy metal" football is a nod to the style under Jurgen Klopp, who managed Liverpool from 2015 to 2024. The post was liked by several Liverpool players, including Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson, and others, signalling potential discord within the squad.
Gerrard's Analysis
Speaking on TNT Sports, Gerrard said: "Mo Salah doesn't really speak much, he doesn't really tweet, and he certainly doesn't tweet like that. So I think that he's sending a message to the outside that things in that Liverpool dressing room are not right, the identity's gone and it's really hurting him to see it in front of his own eyes." He continued: "I'm surprised, the timing, one game to go, his last game for Liverpool. He very rarely speaks, he's done it lately because he's bringing the curtain down on an incredible Liverpool career. But that is quite damning to the Liverpool manager and the staff in terms of where this team's at."
Background of Tensions
Salah's social media post follows a previous fallout with Slot earlier in the season. After a 3-3 draw at Leeds in December, where Salah remained an unused substitute, he accused the club of throwing him under the bus and stated he had no relationship with the manager. "I used to have a good relationship (with manager Slot). Now we don't have any relationship and I don't know why," Salah said at the time. The Egyptian, who joined Liverpool in 2017, will play his final game for the club against Brentford next weekend.
