Liverpool dressing room’s stance on Arne Slot ahead of Mohamed Salah talks | Football | Sport
The divide between Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot had threatened to rip Liverpool apart, but any notion of disharmony within the rest of the squad was dismissed at the San Siro on Tuesday evening. With Salah staying on Merseyside, the Reds bounced back from a challenging week with a remarkable Champions League victory over Inter Milan to relieve pressure on Arne Slot and show further evidence of stabilising a turbulent season.
Salah may not, for the time being at least, be endorsing Slot’s choices, but his team-mates certainly are. Curtis Jones made it clear that the Dutchman retained the backing of the majority of the dressing room when speaking after the final whistle on Tuesday night.
He said: “Are we behind the manager? We always are. We always are. He is human at the end of the day.
“If we get beat in games, it affects him, it affects us all too the same way it affects fans. He is a positive man, he always makes a change.
“The style of play has changed a bit. He is as hungry as ever, exactly the same with us. He is there with us and we are there with him as well.”
Recent developments have shown that transformation isn’t always smooth following Salah’s explosive reaction after being omitted from last weekend’s game against Leeds United.
The winger, who claimed to have no relationship with Slot and felt scapegoated for Liverpool‘s lacklustre displays, was notably absent from the Milan trip, fuelling speculation about his future with the Premier League champions.
Further discussions between Slot and Salah are anticipated this week before the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. Following this, the winger will join his national team for the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, for the rest of the Liverpool squad, results are setting the tone in the dressing room rather than personal disputes.
Jones added: “If you go and win a game it’s always the best feeling. We have just won an important game against a great team.
“The mood is high. If we give away points against teams we should beat then we will always be upset, we will always question why. We went back, had a look at the game (against Leeds), made a change and come out here and won.”
When questioned if Salah’s remarks had altered the dressing room atmosphere, Jones responded decisively.
“No,” said the midfielder. “Mo is his own man. I can’t really speak on another man and his business.
“Everyone knows how much of a legend that Mo is. I can’t really speak on it. The situation that he has got, it is not for me to say.”
Dominik Szoboszlai, who scored Liverpool’s late penalty winner at the San Siro, agreed.
“I’m very close with him,” he revealed. “It’s nothing to do with the players. It’s him and his own choice with what he is doing with his own life and his own career. It’s nothing to do with the players I guess so nothing to say about it.
“Would I like him to stay? It’s not our decision as players. I love him as a human being, as a friend of mine. As a player he has done so much for this club it’s going to be the club’s and his decision.”
