Liverpool have allayed fears of a post-Jurgen Klopp drop off by starting life in sparkling fashion under Arne Slot.
There was a certain air of mystery over what kind of position the Reds would be in following Klopp’s summer exit.
However, Slot couldn’t have hit the ground running harder. The Liverpool head coach has now won 11 of his first 12 matches in charge of the Reds. It’s the best start to a season in Liverpool history.
While Slot deserves immense credit for that, so too do the Liverpool squad. The group has been receptive to the Dutchman’s messages and have put in the work at the AXA Training Centre to bring his ideas to life.
As ever, one of the leaders of that has been Mohamed Salah. Although questions over his future persist, Salah has been in great form at the start of the season.
And according to Curtis Jones, the Egyptian has also been showing his leadership by bringing a new ‘rule’ to Liverpool’s training ground.
Mohamed Salah introduces new rule
Salah is unquestionably one of Liverpool’s absolute leaders. Now 32 and at the club for more than seven years, he is part of the furniture.
Happily, Mo has always been someone who is keen to pass on any advice he can to the younger players at Liverpool.
And speaking to LFCTV, Jones says that Salah has introduced a ‘rule’ to get he and his teammates talking more at training.
After Liverpool installed a new coffee bar at the training centre, Jones was asked about what goes on there.
READ MORE: Arne Slot explains why he substituted Mohamed Salah against RB Leipzig
“That’s the new place where everyone’s just chilling,” said the 23-year-old. “We’ve made like a little group now. You’re always either going to see me, Dom [Szoboszlai], Kostas [Tsimikas] and Mo, that’s our little four.
“We’ve now got this little thing where we’re not allowed on our phones when we’re there having coffee. It’s Mo who’s brought in the rule.
“If we’re inside there and I’m on the phone, Mo will tell Dom ‘will you text him and tell him that we’re here and we want to have a conversation with him’. In other words, get off your phone! Why are you always on your phone?”
Salah shows off leadership skills
This may just be a ‘little thing’ as Jones says, but it goes a long way to showing the kind of character Salah is.
As someone a fair bit older than all three of Jones, Szoboszlai and even Tsimikas, the forward is a link back to days of the old dressing rooms in football, prior to smart phone culture.
Salah clearly enjoys sitting and talking with his teammates and his wisdom is bound to brush off on each of them.
What this also highlights is another aspect of what Liverpool will lose if they don’t tie Mo down to a new contract.
The Egyptian King is still clearly as important as ever on the pitch, but off it he really comes into his own, too. Get us a seat at that coffee bar!
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