Arne Slot is once again having to deal with a storm created by Mohamed Salah in the build-up to Liverpool’s final match of the Premier League season.
Sunday’s clash with Brentford could decide whether the Reds are playing in the Champions League or not next season, and will also bring the curtain down on Salah‘s incredible nine-year spell at Anfield.
With all eyes set to be on him, though, the Egyptian has sent some thinly-veiled shots at Slot, declaring his dissatisfaction with the current style of football Liverpool are playing.
What did you make of Salah’s explosive statement before his last game for the club?
This sounds like it was aimed at Slot…
The reaction to Salah’s comments has been predictably toxic and divided, which is perhaps exactly what the outgoing veteran had in mind. One person who has been particularly unimpressed with the Egypt superstar is Wayne Rooney, who has urged Slot to rob Salah of a final Liverpool appearance.
Slot should have Salah ‘nowhere near the stadium’ on Sunday
Salah must know that he has a lot of leverage in putting out such an explosive statement the week before the end of a dismal season.
He knows that not only does Slot have limited attacking options and needs to win the game, but he must see that the Dutchman needs to get fans back onside, and so is extremely unlikely to want to cause the upset which dropping him obviously would.
According to Rooney, though, Slot should play his trump card and banish Salah from Anfield on Sunday, something Sir Alex Ferguson did to him on the manager’s last ever match at Old Trafford in 2013.
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“I just think for Salah to come out and aim another dig at Arne Slot, whether Slot’s staying next season or not, I think it’s really disappointing,” Rooney told BBC Sport.
“And, yeah, I’ve seen some of his teammates have liked it and stuff, but sometimes your teammates like your post without even knowing what it is.
“He’s talking about he wants to play heavy metal football, so he’s basically saying he wants Jurgen Klopp football. It’s sad. If I was Arne Slot I’d have him nowhere near the stadium in the last game.
“I think to have a second dig at him. I get everything he’s done for Liverpool, but I had it with Alex Ferguson,” the Manchester United legend added.
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“I had a disagreement and a fall out with him and on Ferguson’s last game at Old Trafford he left me out of the squad, for that reason. I thought he was wrong, he probably thinks he was right, but at the end of the day he’s the manager.”
Rooney also feels that Salah has deliberately left a mess which his teammates who are staying at the club are going to have to clean up next season.
“He’s almost just dropped a grenade and said that he doesn’t trust or believe in Arne Slot and let his teammates, who are going to be there next season, and let them deal with that and put them into a position,” he said. “I just think it’s sad.”
As a former Everton and Man United player who has been open in his hatred of Liverpool, Reds fans may not be willing to listen to Rooney on this matter. However, he is a former elite player who won countless trophies during his playing career. He is an authority whether supporters like it or not, and is just another to add his voice to those condemning Salah’s recent behaviour.
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