Jamie Carragher has expressed his displeasure with Mohamed Salah's recent social media comments, drawing a parallel to Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial exit from Manchester United and branding the Egyptian forward as 'selfish'.
The Liverpool star came off the bench on Friday evening as the Reds suffered a heavy 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa, exposing recurring vulnerabilities. Arne Slot's side, champions just a year ago, have now lost 12 matches this season.
With Champions League qualification still not secured and performances underwhelming, Salah took a swipe at the team's style of play, a move widely interpreted as a parting shot at Slot, as the 33-year-old prepares to leave the club this summer.
Salah stated: 'Watching us crumble to yet another defeat this season was deeply painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool return to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and a team that wins trophies.'
Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, was angered by the comments, likening them to Ronaldo's attempts to force an exit from Manchester United in 2022. 'I'm not surprised,' he said. 'I told everyone that something else would come before the end of the season. He'd drop another bomb, a bit like Ronaldo did on his way out of Manchester United. I thought it might come after the season when he had moved on, but no.'
Carragher added: 'Less than two years ago, I called him selfish for doing an interview, and I think that rings true again. Liverpool have a crucial week ahead. They still haven't fully secured Champions League football, and it should be about Liverpool FC, not Salah FC. It's vital that Liverpool make the Champions League positions, but I'm not surprised, and it's not a good look at all.'
Salah has endured his worst Liverpool season in nearly a decade, scoring just 12 goals. His performance levels have dropped so significantly that Slot dropped him from the starting XI earlier this season, prompting a rare mixed-zone interview where Salah claimed he had been 'thrown under the bus'.
Slot himself is under pressure to retain his role given Liverpool's decline, and Carragher believes Salah is exploiting this. 'Arne Slot is not in a position of great strength at Liverpool at the moment,' he said. 'And that's why Salah made his comments. He hasn't got the backing of the crowd right now, and that's why Salah's done it.'
