"I'm not worried" - Slot aims swipe back at Salah. Here's why it could be a big moment for Liverpool... | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot was clearly not too happy with comments made by Mohamed Salah about standards at the club dropping once he leaves this summer.

It’s been a difficult season for the Reds, who have dropped down to fourth place and who are set to finish without any silverware despite spending huge sums of money in the transfer window last year.

The dip in form of a star name like Salah has been part of the problem, and it seems there’s also no love lost between Slot and the Egypt international.

The pair clearly had their differences earlier this season, leading to Salah being dropped and then publicly slamming his manager before the issues eventually seemed to be resolved as the player returned to the team.

Arne Slot swipes back at Mohamed Salah’s standards comments

Now, however, a report from the Times has looked into how badly Slot seemed to react to comments made by Salah about standards slipping at Anfield next season.

The Dutch tactician reacted like a nerve had been touched, saying: “I did not hear him say that the standards are not OK now. Did you? If he goes all of a sudden [they will drop]… OK, as I just said… I’m not worried about it. At all.

“I’m not worried that the standards will be lower next season than they were this season, last season or the season before. No. I’m not worried. At all.”

He also added a line that supposedly ‘lingered’ in the press conference, as he made the pointed dig: “The standards are not only important in the gym.”

This sounds like Slot surely suggesting Salah’s own standards on the pitch have not been good enough this season, even if his fitness levels remain good.

Slot might be better off without Salah

Slot started well at Liverpool, winning the Premier League title in his first season in charge, but his second season has proven a huge challenge.

In fairness, it may be that this summer will represent a welcome fresh start for Slot at LFC, with the former Feyenoord manager perhaps better able to get his ideas across with more of his own players.

Mohamed Salah’s form in 2025/26 vs 2024/25 (DataMB)

Slot largely inherited Jurgen Klopp’s team when he took over, and while that meant he had a world class set of players to work with, it perhaps also made it harder for him to assert his authority once things started to go wrong.

Salah is also a big ego and perhaps a difficult character, even if some might argue there’s some justification in that as he’s one of the greatest Premier League players of all time.

We saw with Mikel Arteta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal that sometimes talent alone isn’t enough for a winning project – the Spanish tactician took a gamble when he decided to let his star striker go, but it ended up being for the best.

Perhaps Slot’s frustration here is a sign that he and Salah simply don’t click in the way that’s necessary for a project at a top club to succeed, so Liverpool fans can perhaps have some cause for optimism once everyone starts with a clean slate next season.