What Next for Liverpool, Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah? | OneFootball

Liverpool’s defence of the Premier League crown has not gone to plan at all. Not only have the Reds lost a number of games, which means they are stuck in seventh place, but their star player has been publicly critical of the club and manager Arne Slot. Seemingly unhappy at being benched during the team’s struggles, Mohamed Salah insisted he feels he has been ‘thrown under the bus’ at Anfield.

Story so Far

Liverpool lost six of their opening 15 matches in the Premier League, which meant they trailed leaders Arsenal by ten points heading into the festive period. After spending big in the summer, Liverpool were among the favourites at bookies like NetBet, but from the get-go, their performances left something to be desired, even when they were picking up points early on in the season.

Looking for solutions to arrest the club’s side, Arne Slot opted to name Salah as a substitute in a bid to solidify the team and make it more defensive. While the Reds did win at West Ham, the side was held by Sunderland at Anfield before conceding a late leveller to draw 3-3 at Leeds.

It was after the game at Elland Road that Salah decided to speak to the press and said: “I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench, and I don’t know why. 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.”

Salah subsequently didn’t travel to Italy for the Champions League clash with Inter, which Liverpool won 1-0.

Month Ahead for Mohamed Salah

The Liverpool talisman will now head to Morocco to represent Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. Some fans believe Salah made his comments knowing he would soon be departing for the tournament. The post-match interview caused a huge furore in the media, with Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard among the club legends who spoke out and gave their take on the situation. It will be interesting to see if Salah’s time away on international duty will benefit the player and allow him to return for a fresh start at Anfield. However, on the other hand, could it spell the end of his Liverpool? A move at the end of January wouldn’t be completely out of the question if bridges have really been burned.

Arne Slot Future

Arne Slot will be well aware that his management of the Salah situation could have an impact on results and, therefore, his role as Liverpool boss. The Dutchman faces losing respect if he allows Salah to dictate, but at the same time, the Reds will no doubt need their star man to feature in the Premier League and Champions League.

The Liverpool manager has credit in the bank after leading the club to the title during his first season on Merseyside, though some fans have lost some faith in Slot due to the Reds’ run of defeats, which has proved costly in terms of the team pushing for the title or even the top four as it stands.

Liverpool’s Season Aims

Liverpool have endured a really rough period, while Salah’s omission and the doubts surrounding his place in the team and future could also have a detrimental effect on form. However, speaking so publicly might actually galvanise the squad to come together and fight even harder for results.

While the Premier League title may be beyond the club due to poor results, if the team can recover and put a strong run together in the second half of the season, it could set Liverpool up to at least aim for the top three. The Champions League, however, is where the Reds can salvage the campaign and boast the quality to reach the quarter-finals or further.