Gary Neville says he would be “fuming” at Mo Salah’s comments about Liverpool’s season if the Egyptian was a Man Utd player.
The Liverpool star is leaving the club this summer but on Saturday delivered a brutal assessment of the team’s current state, with the Reds fifth in the Premier League and still not guaranteed a place in next season’s Champions League having lost 4-2 to Aston Villa on Friday.
Salah hit out at the style of play under Arne Slot, calling for a return to the “heavy metal” attacking football synonymous with former boss Jurgen Klopp.
It’s not the first time Salah has criticised the Liverpool head coach this season.
In December he hit out at Slot in a bombshell interview, insisting the pair’s relationship had broken down.
Sky Sports pundit and former Man Utd captain Neville said he didn’t approve of Salah speaking out in such a manner, but says his most recent comments reflect his unhappiness.
“He’s pulled the pin out of a grenade right in the middle of the room. And he’s walking out of the room,” said Neville. “Mo’s not happy over there.
“It’s not great. If he was a Manchester United player, I’d be fuming. But what you can never do with this kind of player, with this kind of stature and personality, is keep them quiet. If they’ve got something to say, they’re going to say it. And they’re going to say it at the point where you don’t want to hear it.
“That was a telling comment. Arne Slot will not welcome it whatsoever. But he will just want to get to the end of the season, get out of there, get everyone out of there that’s not going to be there next season, and try and build.”
Slot has indicated he is hoping to oversee a busy summer transfer window at Liverpool, and Neville believes the Dutchman will get the chance to turn results around next season especially given former Reds player Xabi Alonso, who many had tipped to eventually return to Anfield as manager, has been named Chelsea boss.
“The signing of Xabi Alonso did tell me that Liverpool are going to keep their manager,” Neville said.
“Which I’m happy about. A manager who won the league 12 months ago deserves another chance to get it right, having had a more challenging season this time. He’s still in the Champions League. But Salah’s comment won’t be helpful.”
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Sunday Supplement takes a closer look at Mohamed Salah’s criticism of Liverpool this season and whether Arne Slot should respond to those comments
Salah’s blunt assessment of Liverpool
In a scathing assessment of Liverpool’s form this season, Salah said in a statement on social media: “I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions.
“It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.
“Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good.
“It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it. Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games.
“Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on. As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen.”
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Aston Villa’s match against Liverpool in the Premier League
Slot insists Liverpool will be a better force next season
Meanwhile, under-pressure Slot has promised next season will be better.
Liverpool’s trophyless season comes to an end at home to Brentford on May 24. Depending on results for Bournemouth and Brighton over the next few days, Liverpool might need a positive result to secure a top-five finish to qualify for the Champions League.
The Dutchman accepted supporters might not find reason to be optimistic after a difficult campaign, but he is expecting better from his side next season.
“I can understand at this moment of time that they don’t have a lot of confidence or a lot of feeling that things can be much better next season,” Slot said.
“But I think then they are underestimating what a window can do, what a new start can do, and I think we know quite well what to improve.
“I think one of the things we have to improve is also very, very, very obvious, and I would have preferred not to talk about it here, but you’re actually almost forcing me to.
“If you miss nine players that can start a game of football, and almost all of them are starters for us or have been for large part of the season, then if you add that to what you can improve in a window and add that to players that are playing for the second season in the Premier League, that will automatically lead to much more.
“I don’t think the differences are so big, only doing in a few situations the right thing can already have a best massive upwards possibility.”
