When Mohamed Salah clashed with Jurgen Klopp after being substituted during Liverpool’s frustrating and costly 2-2 draw with West Ham on April 27, 2024, the Egyptian forward chose not to escalate the argument afterwards. As he told reporters while passing through the mixed zone at the London Stadium, “If I speak, there will be fire.” It was a moment of restraint, as Salah decided to stay silent and keep his anger in check.

Klopp’s departure was already confirmed, so there was no need for Salah to risk damaging his bond with Liverpool supporters by confronting one of the most iconic and beloved managers in the club’s history. Taking on Klopp would have been a losing battle from every angle.

In sharp contrast, Salah has shown no hesitation in taking aim at Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot. Last week, the Egyptian released a statement that, while not naming the Dutchman directly, left no doubt about who his frustration was directed at—something that was also clear to several Liverpool teammates who ‘liked’ his social media post.

This latest comment marked the third time Salah has publicly criticised Slot this season. Although his initial remark surprised the coach, the most recent one has done the greatest damage to the Dutchman’s reputation and position within the club.

Refusing to leave quietly

Once Liverpool confirmed Salah’s exit before the end of the season—at his own request—it was obvious that he would not bow out quietly. That simply isn’t his nature. Throughout his nine years at Anfield, Salah has rarely spoken out, but when he has felt aggrieved, he has always found a way to make his displeasure known.

It was therefore inevitable that a player once upset merely at being substituted by Klopp would react badly to being benched by Slot—especially just six months after leading Liverpool to the Premier League title with one of the greatest individual seasons in the competition’s history.

In December at Elland Road, Salah had already shaken the Kop by claiming that “someone” within the club wanted him to “take all the blame” for Liverpool’s worst run of results in 71 years, adding that his previously “good relationship with the manager” had completely broken down.

Media backlash

Salah’s defiance drew widespread criticism. His behaviour was seen as unprofessional and disrespectful, unbecoming of a player of his stature. At a club where “Never wash your dirty linen in public” has long been a guiding principle, such public dissent was bound to cause an uproar.

The same applies to Salah’s latest rebuke, in which the 33-year-old appeared to blame Slot for Liverpool’s disastrous season, accusing him indirectly of abandoning the “heavy metal” football style made famous under Klopp. It was an undignified yet calculated move—an attempt to seize control of the narrative ahead of Liverpool’s final match of the season and Salah’s final appearance for the club.

Unfortunately for Slot, the strategy worked. He now faces a no-win situation ahead of Sunday’s clash with Brentford—criticised if he benches Salah, and criticised if he doesn’t.

Fans backing Salah

Despite pundits such as Jamie Carragher trying to paint Salah as the villain, supporters are largely siding with their long-time hero. During Carragher’s recent comments on ‘Monday Night Football’, a Sky Sports poll revealed that 92 percent of Liverpool fans supported Salah over Slot.

While Carragher and others have often dismissed online fan sentiment as unreliable, the atmosphere at Anfield tells a different story. During the recent home fixture against Chelsea, it was clear that even the match-going fans had turned against the manager—and for understandable reasons.

Shared frustration

Any doubts that Slot’s issues extended beyond his relationship with Salah have been erased over the past six months. Liverpool have failed to win a single match in 2026 without Salah in the squad. Slot’s decision to bench him for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain looked misguided, especially since Salah created more chances than any other Liverpool player despite playing only 59 of the 180 minutes across the two matches.

That said, the fans are not excusing Salah’s behaviour or his dip in form. They were unimpressed by his decision to express frustration publicly. However, unlike much of the media, supporters seem to share many of his concerns—particularly disappointment that Xabi Alonso, widely seen as the ideal replacement for Slot, has instead joined Chelsea.

Mutiny on Merseyside

There is no denying that Liverpool have lost their identity under Slot. Once a relentless and intimidating side, they have become easy to beat—largely because opponents continue to exploit the same weaknesses through set-pieces, low blocks, and quick counter-attacks.

Slot insists he understands fans’ frustration, arguing that “they are underestimating what a transfer window can do.” But confidence in the club’s recruitment team is low, especially after a £450 million ($600m) spending spree last summer that somehow left the squad weaker than before.

Slot’s handling of the new signings hasn’t helped either. Hugo Ekitike has been his only relative success story, yet even Ekitike ‘liked’ Salah’s post criticising Liverpool’s playing style—along with fellow 2025 arrivals Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Giovanni Leoni.

More tellingly, senior players like Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Andy Robertson also publicly supported Salah’s stance. Each of them has admitted in recent months that Liverpool’s season has fallen far below expectations.

Thus, while Salah’s statement was self-serving and deliberately timed to hurt Slot, he cannot be blamed for the broader unrest. The majority of the squad and fanbase share the same discontent—Liverpool’s performances have been as uninspiring to play in as they have been to watch.

Final shot

Slot has repeatedly pointed to mitigating circumstances such as injuries, but even those cannot excuse Liverpool conceding 52 league goals or losing 19 matches across all competitions. The club has only endured a worse record once since their 1962 promotion.

The suggestion that this was always going to be a “transition season” feels insulting to fans who witnessed their team lift the Premier League trophy just a year ago. Fenway Sports Group (FSG) did not invest heavily to see the team finish fifth.

Slot’s employers expected clear signs of progress as the season unfolded, but there has been no evidence that dropping Salah, Robertson, or Jones can remedy Liverpool’s glaring flaws.

The harsh truth is that while Salah may have been wrong to voice his grievances publicly, his assessment of the situation was accurate. Liverpool’s results have been unacceptable, the football uninspiring, and Slot’s position now untenable. Whatever authority he had left has been shattered by the overwhelming support Salah’s parting words have received.