BBC journalist opens up on ‘flim-flam’ around Salah drama | OneFootball

Liverpool’s recent off-pitch noise has quietly masked a much bigger story about leadership, legacy and control at Anfield.

Speaking on BBC Sport, former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin offered a detailed assessment of how the Mo Salah situation has unfolded under Arne Slot.

At the centre of it all, Nevin argued, was not emotion or reputation, but standards.

“There is so much to be considered but at the heart of the entire Mo Salah affair is one simple consideration,” Nevin explained.

“If Salah plays well, then he should get in the squad and even the team, if not, then he doesn’t. The rest is flim-flam.”

That clarity matters for us, particularly after a summer of significant squad change and a season that has already demanded calm authority from the dugout.

Liverpool authority and Arne Slot’s defining moment

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Nevin believes the reaction to Salah’s role against Brighton was crucial for everyone involved.

“It took a while but his reaction at the weekend was finally the right one, coming on to set up the second goal against Brighton,” he said.

The BBC analyst contrasted that impact with what came before, referencing “petulant-sounding comments, a surly attitude and questionable social media posts” that had put unnecessary strain on the situation.

That context aligns with what Ryan Babel recently said when discussing how age, tactical changes and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure inevitably affect output, reminding us that “we forget they are still human.”

Nevin went further, suggesting the Dutchman’s handling of the moment may have prevented long-term damage.

“I do hope so, because it would have been an incredible shame had a club legend left surreptitiously under a cloud in January,” he said.

Liverpool legacy, forgiveness and what comes next

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

According to Nevin, the wider picture is about protecting the club as much as the individual.

“Salah will be forgiven by the Kopites in time because of his history,” he said, while warning that unresolved tension can leave “a little stain” on even the greatest careers.

That view sits alongside David Ornstein’s reporting that Liverpool fully intend to keep the Egyptian until at least the end of the season, despite refusing to guarantee minutes.

Nevin also acknowledged the personal cost to the manager.

“Slot’s position has been strengthened by his steely determination to do the right thing for the team no matter who is acting up,” he said, adding that the situation “could have been fatal for the Dutchman’s career had results not picked up.”

For us, this episode feels less like a crisis and more like a reminder that even legends are part of something bigger at Liverpool.

You can watch Slot’s post-Brighton press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile