Arne Slot made a bold choice to leave Mohamed Salah at home, but it appears to have paid off after beating Inter Milan.
Liverpool were in desperate need of a big performance against Inter Milan, and not only did they produce just that, but they got the win as well.
Despite this, all the questions were, of course, still about Salah’s future afterwards, with the Dutchman likely bored of them already.
Who was your Man of the Match during Liverpool’s brilliant 1-0 win over Inter Milan?
However, he answered them with poise, and when asked about whether he will bring the Egyptian back into the team, he had a pretty clear answer of what needs to happen first.
Arne Slot hints that Mohamed Salah needs to apologise first
The Salah vs Slot debate will be one that rumbles on for quite some time, with it very unlikely that it will be solved before they face Brighton on Saturday.
However, Slot finds himself in a very powerful position after getting the win without the player who was once his star man, suggesting Salah might be regretting his choices a little.
Slot did hint, though, that there is a way back for him into the team, but he would have to apologise first by the sounds of it.
“Do you have the intention to bring him back, because I would love to see that happen. Everybody makes mistakes in life, things happen, what is your spirit?” Clarence Seedorf asked Slot on Amazon Prime.
“You say everyone makes mistakes in life, so the first thing should be does the player think he’s made a mistake,” Slot replied.
“The next question should be does the initiative come from me or from him? The focus for tonight should be on Virgil, for example, the fans are singing for him.
“Also Ibou Konate, he had a few difficult moments recently, but he played an outstanding game against two excellent strikers.”
What do you make of Andy Robertson’s comments on Mohamed Salah’s future?
Arne Slot has handled the Mohamed Salah situation perfectly
Slot really could have crumbled under the pressure of one of Liverpool’s best-ever players calling him out, but he has stood his ground while being firm and fair.
He has shown exactly why he is the boss, not only by punishing Salah, but the way he set up his team to play Inter.
The performance was much better all round, with it feeling like they had more control with their new system, a system that could leave no room for Salah to come back in.
Brighton will certainly be a big game in their season, with another win here getting the Reds back on the right track.
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