Arne Slot shares honest thoughts on ‘not nice’ approach for Liverpool star | OneFootball

Liverpool Boss Explains Mo Salah Decision as Arne Slot Searches for Balance

Arne Slot does not hide from difficult conversations. His call to leave Mohamed Salah on the bench for the 2-0 win over West Ham marked the first Premier League match since April 2024 that the Egyptian did not feature. Liverpool needed a reset after a poor run of nine defeats in twelve games and, despite the boldness of the choice, the manager was clear about the emotional weight behind it.

Slot admitted: “It is not a nice thing for a Liverpool fan and not for me, a player that has been so important for us, you want to see him on the pitch.” That honesty underlined a wider truth about Salah’s status. Even at 33, with eighteen months left on his contract, he remains central to Liverpool.

Slot’s Explanation and Salah’s Response

The manager doubled down on his admiration for the forward, adding: “I prefer to see Mo on the pitch, scoring his goals and doing something special, rather than the camera being on him when he isn’t in the game.” Slot stressed the long-term value of Salah too, particularly with AFCON approaching. “He has been so important for us, for so many years, and he will be important for us in the coming days, because it is days as he goes to the AFCON.”

Photo: IMAGO

Salah heads off to Egypt duty on December 15 and could miss up to eight matches. Liverpool have four fixtures before his departure, starting with Sunderland at Anfield, and Slot praised the professionalism shown by his star forward. “The reaction of every player in this group, no matter whether he’s playing or not playing, is to bring the best out of yourself every single day you are in this building and when we are playing,” he said. “That’s exactly the attitude he showed on Sunday and Monday as well. He was good in training.”

Attacking Options Under Review

Dominik Szoboszlai replaced Salah on the right against West Ham, but Slot made it clear that Liverpool will not reshape their long-term structure around that choice. “I don’t see Dominik as a right-winger for the long-term future in this club,” Slot explained. He added that the Hungarian can fill gaps, but Liverpool’s model depends on specialists. “In the long-term future, we should have wingers playing as wingers, midfielders playing as midfielders and defenders playing as defenders.”

That principle will influence selection decisions in the coming days. Salah’s potential return is one dilemma, but Slot must also monitor Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Joe Gomez after recent fitness concerns. Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni remain unavailable, though Bradley might return soon after a hamstring issue.

Liverpool’s Next Step

Liverpool face an intense December and navigating it without losing rhythm is Slot’s priority. The manager’s handling of Salah reflects a broader effort to restore clarity, purpose and structure at a crucial stage of the season.