Salah’s ‘attitude stinks’? Liverpool ‘pro’ shows incredible ‘mentality’ after PSG defeat | OneFootball

Those of you suggesting Mohamed Salah’s “attitude stinks” should take note of the extraordinary professionalism and “mentality” he displayed after Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday that was picked up on by Stuart Pearce and Steven Gerrard.

Salah was an unused substitute as Arne Slot’s side were put to the sword by PSG in their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia secured a 2-0 win for the Ligue 1 giants which flattered Liverpool on a night in which they were completely outplayed by the hosts.

Liverpool fielded a back five for the first time in a Champions League or Premier League game since December 2017 and Jamie Carragher launched an impassioned defence of Virgil van Dijk, who he claims has never looked “so uncomfortable”, before ripping into Florian Wirtz and two of his teammates.

Slot’s system switch was described as “shameful” and the sight of Salah sitting on the bench amid the Reds’ “toothless” display was jarring despite his exclusion being very clearly the right call for a game in which PSG made hay down Liverpool’s right flank without the extra freedom the Egyptian would have granted them through his refusal to defend.

Explaining why Salah wasn’t introduced from the bench, Slot said Liverpool were merely “surviving” at the end of the game.

“I think in the last part of the game, it was more about surviving for us than there was ever a chance that we could score,” Slot said.

“Yeah, you never know, because last season we scored five minutes before the end, Harvey Elliott, when I took Mo off, but I think this was 20-25 minutes where we were only defending.

“And Mo has so much quality, but for Mo to be 20-25 minutes defending inside his own box, I think it’s better for him to save his energy for a lot of games that are coming up in the upcoming weeks.”

And there should be absolutely no doubt that Salah will be prepared to make his mark in the games to come after former England full-back Pearce spotted a clear sign of his outstanding attitude.

Pearce said on talkSPORT: “I’m also watching down here Mo Salah doing his running as well.

“He’s at the front of the running and sometimes this gets unnoticed.

“People say oh his attitude stunk when he come off. He done this, he done that.

“If ever there’s a time where a players attitude is going to stink, it’s Mo Salah with six or seven games to go on his Liverpool career not being brought on when they need a goal.

“He’s got every opportunity for his attitude to stink and he’s out there doing the running with the team the box to box work that they do after games.

“So you’ve got to commend him for that. I know it’s his job. I understand that.”

Guys, he did the warm down and everything. Gerrard is similarly impressed.

Gerrard told TNT Sports: “Credit to him, he’s just stayed behind and done extra running.

“If there wasn’t a midweek game Wednesday probably would be your big session so in his mind he’s already thinking of Fulham on Saturday which shows the pro and mentality that you’re dealing with.”

Wow, what a “pro”, doing the club-imposed warm down to avoid an injury. It’s that “mentality” which is the difference between Salah and every other footballer in history made to do running after a game in which they haven’t played.

Refusing to do a warm down it is a story. Doing a warm down isn’t anything.