Journalist: Mohamed Salah would struggle again under Andoni Iraola | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah And Andoni Iraola Question Raised In Liverpool Discussion

Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool exit was not the central focus of Media Matters for Anfield Index, but his departure became an important reference point as Dave Davis and David Lynch discussed the expected arrival of Andoni Iraola and what his football may demand.

The context is significant. Salah had fallen out with Arne Slot and decided to leave Liverpool, before Slot was then sacked. Lynch referred directly to the strained relationship, saying: “Mo Salah didn’t like him.”

That comment came during a wider discussion about whether more details would emerge after Slot’s departure. Lynch said there was “no point now sticking the boot in” and added: “It’s over now, and Liverpool are ready to move in a new direction.”

Iraola style may not have suited Salah

When the conversation turned to which Liverpool players could thrive under Iraola, Salah’s name came up in a different way.

Lynch said: “Salah departing, I don’t think this would have been easy for him to play this style of football.”

That was one of the clearest lines in the discussion. Iraola’s expected Liverpool would be built around intensity, running and pressing, a style Lynch repeatedly described as more physical and aggressive than Slot’s.

He also said Salah’s exit was “not just a slot-based decision, but a club decision about kind of what the team’s going to look like going forward.”

That makes the Salah question more complicated. Even if Slot’s sacking removed the manager with whom Salah had fallen out, Lynch’s view was that Iraola’s football may still have created a difficult fit.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool moving towards different profile

The podcast repeatedly returned to Iraola’s demands. Lynch described his football as involving “that chaos, that kind of physicality, the running” and “the madness of it all.”

In that context, Salah’s departure appears to sit within a broader shift in Liverpool’s squad planning. Lynch did not say Salah would definitely have refused to play under Iraola. He also did not say Liverpool forced him out because of Iraola. The point was narrower and more tactical, Salah may not have found the new style easy.

Lynch contrasted that by naming players he felt could suit Iraola more naturally. He said “Dominic Szoboszlai with the intensity he plays at” would “really suit it,” while also saying “Milos Kirkes will absolutely benefit from this.”

Slot sacking may not have changed Salah outcome

The interesting question is whether Salah would have stayed had Slot been sacked earlier and Iraola been appointed instead. Based only on what was said in the podcast, that cannot be stated as fact.

What Lynch did say was that Salah “didn’t like” Slot, but he also suggested the decision around Salah went beyond Slot. His line that the departure was “not just a slot-based decision” is the key phrase.

So, while Slot’s exit may have changed the mood around Liverpool, the discussion suggested Salah’s future was tied to a wider club direction. Iraola’s potential arrival, with a more intense style, may not have made a Salah stay straightforward.