Manager admits it was a hard decision to bench a “great” player like Salah
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has explained why he benched Mohamed Salah for the third league match in a row.
Ahead of the fixture against Leeds, the champions had taken four points from their past two games without Salah in the lineup, and Slot decided to continue with the same approach in search of some stability. Liverpool drew 3-3 against Leeds.
Before kick-off, Slot said regarding the decision: “It’s never an easy decision because we all know what a great player he is. But it is also up to me to pick the team that I think we need today. That’s why I made the decision.”
In Salah’s absence, Slot has used Dominik Szoboszlai on the right. The Hungarian is not a winger but the manager believes it gives his side more defensive cover in wide areas. Some pundits, most notably former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, called for Salah to be benched before Slot finally pulled the trigger.
Slot admitted that Salah was frustrated by being left out, but he said last week that the forward had been professional about it.
“[Feeling frustrated] is a normal reaction from a player that’s good enough to play for us, and I say that mildly because he has been so outstanding for this club for so many years and will be for the future,” Slot said last week. “He wasn’t the only one who wasn’t happy that he wasn’t starting and that is normal.
“He is so disciplined – he knows what to do to stay fit. No matter if he plays well or if he doesn’t play well, if he plays or doesn’t play, he will always be that top professional and that’s what he was in the last two days.
“With all players around their world, there are also phases in your time at the club that they are human. He’s scored so many goals for us and I am sure he will in the future.”
Salah has since criticised Slot and Liverpool for benching him and said he was being “thrown under the bus”.
