Liverpool: Slot responds to Salah social media post as he hits back at playing style claim | OneFootball

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has responded to Mohamed Salah’s social media post criticising the club’s form and their playing style under the Dutchman.

The Reds have been in poor form recently with Slot’s side taking just one point from their last three Premier League matches.

Their latest defeat against Aston Villa last Friday saw Salah take to social media to call on the club to “go back to being the heavy metal attacking team”.

Liverpool forward Salah wrote on X on May 16: “I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions.

“It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there.

“Nothing makes me prouder than that. Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve.

“I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies.

“That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good.

“It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it. Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games.

“Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family.

“I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on.

“As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen.”

Responding to those comments from Salah in his Friday press conference, Liverpool head coach Slot said: “You are doing a lot of assumptions; first of all you say that he wants to play that style and then say it is not my style.

“I think Mo was really happy with the style we played last year as it led to us winning the league.

“Football has changed, football has evolved, but we both want what is best for Liverpool and that is for us to compete for trophies, which we haven’t done this season and which we did last season.

“He and the team – and I was included in that – brought the league title back after five years and we would like to challenge for that again next season and continue to evolve the team. That is my take on it.”

Slot added: “We both want what’s best for the club, we both want the club to be successful and that’s the main aim and I have to find a way to evolve this team now and definitely in the summer and in the upcoming season to be successful again, and to play a brand of football that I like and if I like it then the fans will like it was well because I haven’t liked a lot of the way we played this season as well.

“There were far too many games where we dominated ball possession but it didn’t lead to anything special or any moments.

“But again, that’s also the way the league has evolved because in general we don’t see the 3, 4, 5-0 games anymore. It’s a close game every single time, not only with us but any single game.

“But we try to evolve the team in a way that we can compete but definitely also play the brand of football, the style of football the fans, I, and hopefully Mo if he’s somewhere else at that moment in time will like as well.”

Salah’s comments on social media have led to speculation that Slot may not retain the support of the entire dressing room at Liverpool.

Slot continued: “I don’t know if it had an impact on the group but what I have seen is that the team trained really well this week and we hope to continue really well in the upcoming two days so we’re as best prepared as possible.

“But we are also aware we didn’t have the same level this season. What we want, what he (Salah) wants, what I want is for the club to be as successful as we were last season. That is where my main focus is now because the game on Sunday could give us a really good base going into next season. That is where I, we, should focus.”

On whether he will start Salah against Brighton at the weekend, the Liverpool said replied: “I never say anything about team selection so it would be a surprise to you if I did that right now.”