Arne Slot Delivers Shocking Ultimatum to Mohamed Salah Following Liverpool's Champions League Victory
Arne Slot acknowledged that "everybody commits errors" when questioned about Mohamed Salah after Liverpool's 1–0 triumph against Inter Milan, though he suggested that any forthcoming solution must originate from the player himself.
Salah remained on Merseyside during the Reds' Champions League encounter with the Italian side on Tuesday night, serving as a direct punishment for his inflammatory comments regarding Slot and the club over the weekend.
The Dutch manager reminded his star striker that he is "not fragile" and communicated his decision to Salah during a "brief" discussion at Monday's training session. Liverpool proceeded to claim all three points versus Inter courtesy of a late spot-kick, successfully converted by Dominik Szoboszlai in the Egyptian's absence.
Following the win, Slot faced persistent questioning about Salah. The coach tried to maintain focus on his squad's success before eventually sharing his current perspective on the strained circumstances.
"Well, you mention that everybody commits errors in life, but the real question is whether players should acknowledge this too? And should the first move come from the player or myself? That's another consideration. Ibou Konaté has experienced some challenging periods recently, yet he delivered an exceptional performance [against Inter]."
Possibly encouraged by Tuesday's outcome, Slot emphasized how Liverpool remain unbeaten since benching Salah, having suffered heavy defeats to PSV Eindhoven and Nottingham Forest with the Egyptian featuring.
"Following the PSV and Forest matches, where we allowed seven goals across two games, it became necessary to tighten our defense, which we accomplished against West Ham," he explained. "Subsequently we faced Sunderland and their initial opportunity arrived in the 86th minute. Their opening goal wasn't even a proper chance, then came Leeds.
"We demonstrated resilience in the second period and adjusted our approach slightly."
"Numerous things have been discussed," Slot continued. "Typically, this impacts players as well since he's [Salah] been so vital for the club and the squad, so it's never pleasant when issues arise with their colleagues."
Virgil van Dijk Gives Verdict on Slot, Salah Feud
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was similarly questioned about his perspective on the deteriorating relationship between Salah and Slot moments after guiding his team to only their fifth win in their previous 16 fixtures across all tournaments.
"It's not my place to determine who should apologize," Van Dijk stated. "He's [Salah] expressing his emotions. The organization must handle it along with him.
"It's a team matter. Issues between Mo and the club are ongoing and he is clearly absent today, unable to assist us in securing three points.
"I've known Mo for an extended period. He is a companion. We've experienced peaks and valleys. We communicate, but such matters will remain private. We must prepare ourselves and stand firm against external criticism."
It's uncertain whether Salah will seek to reconcile with his manager and teammates before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations next week. Slot declined to disclose if the 33-year-old would feature in his lineup for Saturday's Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.