Steven Gerrard has offered his take on Mohamed Salah's angry statement, describing it as 'damning' for Arne Slot's future at Liverpool. The Egyptian forward took to social media on Saturday afternoon with some home truths, claiming that the side needed to 'recover their identity' and calling on his teammates to adapt to the demands of the club.
Gerrard's Reaction
Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard was asked for his opinion and admitted that he was caught off-guard, albeit suggested that the statement could potentially be a worry for Slot and his future at Anfield. Speaking on TNT Sports, the former midfielder said: 'Wow. Listen, that is extremely interesting. Mo Salah doesn't really speak much, and he doesn't 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.'
'I'm surprised of the timing. One game to go, his last game for Liverpool. You guys know, you've been involved in the media: he very rarely speaks, he's done interviews lately because he's obviously 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. That's my opinion on that.'
Further Comments
'Is he speaking off his own back for the sake of everyone else in the dressing room? It's strange, it's unusual. He's going to be doing a load of media around his last game, I'm sure. I'm really looking forward to the coming days because that's unusual for a Liverpool player, and it's unusual for Mo Salah.'
'Crumbling is a strong word. It's quite damning, the timing. It's unusual coming from Mo. The pressure's on the players and the pressure's on the manager because it hasn't been nowhere near good enough. The performance last night was terrible, it was awful, it was difficult to watch from start to finish and it hurt me watching Liverpool last night.'
'I don't normally say that. It was a tough 90 minutes and they got what they deserved. Villa were better all over the pitch. There was no fight, no passion, no pattern of play, no connection, they're not moving around the pitch together, individuals were miles off what I know they can perform at. It hurt me to watch Liverpool last night, they were nowhere near good enough. Let's finish on that note.'
Salah's Future
Salah is due to leave this summer on a free transfer despite having one year left on his contract. His final game at Anfield comes next weekend against Brentford, where Liverpool might need a win to secure their place in the Champions League for next term.
