Mohamed Salah tirade adds to Arne Slot’s troubles during Liverpool slump

LONDON – Arne Slot was still reeling from Liverpool’s

latest 3-3 stumble at Leeds United

on Dec 6, when Mohamed Salah took aim at his manager and the club’s hierarchy in a post-match rant that could mark the end of his legendary career at Anfield.

The English Premier League champions have problems after a run of only four wins in 15 games in all competitions and now have to deal with what could be a messy divorce from one of the club’s all-time greats.

The Egyptian – who has 250 goals for Liverpool – has been key to two title triumphs, most notably last term’s stunning campaign as Slot won the league in his debut season. Now he claims his relationship with the Dutchman is broken after being left on the bench for the past three games.

“It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame,” said Salah.

Despite the 33-year-old’s lack of form playing a major role in Liverpool’s decline this season, Slot had remained loyal to Salah until the past week. He has scored just five times in 19 appearances and been regularly criticised by pundits for his lack of work rate defensively.

Liverpool and Salah were already set for a short-term separation as he will depart for the Africa Cup of Nations after games against Inter Milan and Brighton & Hove Albion this week.

However, the player has hinted the Brighton match could be his last at Anfield.

“I’m going to enjoy that game because I don’t know what is going to happen now,” added Salah.

“I will be at Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup. I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”

His comments have not gone down well at the club, among former players and also the media, with many believing that he made the wrong decision to air his “dirty linen in public”.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said Salah is “making it all about him” and urged the forward to “keep it in the four walls of the club”.

“Knock on the manager’s door, see the owners, whatever you have to do, express your frustration,” he said on Match of the Day.

“By doing this, he’s causing the team a problem and the manager a problem and making it all about him. You can’t do it. Whether you agree with him, you don’t deal with it like this.”

Ex-Reds striker Michael Owen, meanwhile, tagged Salah in a post on X and said: “I can imagine how you feel... But this is a team game and you simply can’t publicly say what you’ve said.

“You’re going to afcon in a week. Surely you bite your lip, enjoy representing your country and see how the land lies when you get back?”

BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty also did not agree with Salah’s actions.

“For a club that pride themselves on keeping matters in-house, on stability and calm, Salah’s outburst has blown discontent inside Anfield into the open,” he wrote.

“It is an astonishing show of rebellion from a player who has rightly achieved all-time great status.”

Daily Mail writer Oliver Holt called Salah a “spoiled child”, while The Athletic’s James Pearce said his comments “just heaps more negativity on the club at a difficult time”.

A public confrontation with a much-loved legend is the last thing Slot needs right now, with his credit among the Liverpool fan base dwindling just months after lifting the league trophy.

Failure to hold on to 2-0 and 3-2 leads against Leeds means the Reds have won just two and drawn two of their last 10 league games and realistically ended their hopes of retaining the title well before Christmas.

Slot conceded there was nothing new to Liverpool’s failings.

“It is not the first time we drop points, not the first time we concede a goal in the last minute or we concede a goal from a set piece,” he said. “The only ones to blame are ourselves.”

His inability to arrest the slide leaves doubts hanging over both his and Salah’s future heading into 2026. AFP