Liverpool legend Jamie Redknapp has disclosed that Mohamed Salah told him the key difference between playing under Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot. Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp revealed that the Egyptian forward, who played his final match for the Reds on Sunday, said he was afforded greater freedom to attack under Slot than under Klopp.
Slot's First Season Under Scrutiny
Dutchman Slot has faced intense scrutiny this season, with Liverpool scraping into next term's Champions League through a fifth-place finish and failing to claim any silverware as defending top-flight champions. It wasn't a standout campaign for Salah either, with the attacker netting just 12 goals across all competitions.
Nevertheless, Salah is widely regarded as instrumental in delivering the Reds their 20th league crown in the 2024/2025 season, when he netted 34 goals. That tally was reportedly achieved thanks to Slot freeing him from the burden of tracking back, something former Reds boss Klopp was determined his forwards should do.
Salah's Preference for Slot's Tactics
Despite Salah's preference for Slot's instructions when it comes to operating up front, it was clearly insufficient to maintain harmony with the winger, as the pair dramatically clashed midway through the campaign. Redknapp recalled: "Mo Salah, when they won the league with Slot, he was very, 'Oh, this is great now.' It was a bit different. It was sometimes difficult under Klopp."
"I just remember him saying that it suits him a lot more with Arne Slot. [Salah said] 'He's given me a lot of licence to just not defend as much and then win the game.' I remember him saying that to me. So I think it was a very complimentary for Slot. It feels a little bit disrespectful to say Slot hasn't done well or things like that."
"I get he's had a poor season but I just think we've got to be a little bit more patient with him and Mo Salah wasn't complaining too much when they won the league. But because his form wasn't as good [this season] that's why he's probably come out with remarks [on social media]."
Redknapp Defends Slot's Performance
The former England midfielder, who turned out 308 times for Liverpool between 1991 and 2002, reckons Slot has been judged too harshly this campaign. He said: "I didn't like the way the season finished for Liverpool. I felt it was a really underwhelming season, but I also have a lot of sympathy for the manager because, when you come in, it's very difficult."
"If we go over history, when Alex Ferguson left Man United and when Arsene Wenger left Arsenal it took them 20 odd years to win a title, United are still searching for theirs. Liverpool won it a year after [Klopp left], and when people say, 'Well, Slot won it with Klopp's team,' but Klopp didn't win it with that team. So that's a little bit unfair."
Redknapp has teamed up with Kellogg's, who are hosting football camps this summer. He believes the camps offer youngsters the opportunity to get outside and develop life skills on the pitch. "There are kids that are just stuck indoors doing nothing and they're just scrolling their phones," he said. "And it's just really just not good for your brain. It's not good for your energy. It's no good for anything. So I'm a big advocate of this. And so when I got the opportunity to do it, it just felt a really cool initiative."
