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Arne Slot has explained why he didn't bring on Mohamed Salah during Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds United — with the Reds boss speaking before the Egyptian dropped his bombshell interview.
Salah slammed Slot for the breaking down of their relationship and said Liverpool had broken promises made to him when he signed a new two-year contract in April. But the Reds' boss said there was a simple explanation for why he didn't turn to last season's star man at Elland Road.
"We were 2-0 up, [then] we were 3-2 up," Slot told Sky Sports. "I think it was at that moment of time, more about controlling the game. And we didn’t need a goal at that moment of time.
"And normally when you need a goal, like against Sunderland, I brought Mo in. Today, it felt to me that we needed different players like Wata [Endo].
"I brought him (Endo) in many times when we needed to bring a win over the line. And he gave everything, I think, what I could expect from him, and he was also not part in us conceding for 3-3."
Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone following the game, Salah didn't hold back in how he feels about his current situation, revealing that there is now almost no relationship between him and his manager.
"Yeah, there's no relationship between us," he said. "It was a very good relationship and now all of a sudden there is no relationship."
"After what I have done for the club it really hurts," Salah added. "You can imagine, really. After going from home to the club and you don’t know if you are starting.
"I know the club too well, I have been here many years. Tomorrow [Jamie] Carragher is going to go for me again and again and that’s fine."
Salah said that he feels that someone at the club wants to get him out. He also bluntly summed up his current situation.
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"It is not acceptable for me," Salah explained. "I don't know why this is happening to me. I don't get it. I think if this was somewhere else, every club would protect its player.
"How I see it now is like you throw Mo under the bus because he is the problem in the team now. But I don't think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club.
"The respect, I want to get. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. It's football. It is what it is."
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