Pundit says the player’s interview was “choreographed” in an attempt to bring the manager down
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has strongly condemned Mohamed Salah’s post-match interview after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds, branding it “disgraceful” and claiming it was intentionally staged to try to get manager Arne Slot sacked.
Salah told reporters he had been “thrown under the bus” and then said his relationship with Slot had broken down. After his incendiary comments he was omitted from the squad for Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on Tuesday.
On Monday Night Football, Carragher tore into the player for what he called a “choreographed” outburst.
“I thought it was a disgrace what he did after the game,” said Carragher. “Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst, I do not think it was. I think whenever Salah stops in the mix zone, which he’s done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it’s choreographed between him and his agent to cause maximum damage and to strengthen his own position.
“He’s chosen this weekend to do this now and he’s waited, I think, for a bad result for Liverpool. You can see the last-minute goal, Liverpool supporters, the manager, everyone involved in the club feels like they’re in the gutter at the moment and he’s chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try and get him sacked.”
Carragher also took aim at the forward’s comments about responsibility.
“The one line that stands out for me is ‘thrown under the bus’,” Carragher said. “He’s thrown the club under the bus twice in the last 12 months.
“When we are talking about throwing people under the bus, he’s thrown every Liverpool right-back under the bus for the 8 years. Can you imagine playing behind him for eight years? But we accept it because he’s a superstar and he’s scored 250 goals.”
However, Carragher said he hoped the situation could still be salvaged. Salah will likely still be out of the squad for Brighton’s visit at the weekend, and after that he goes to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Any decisions will have to be made when that tournament ends in January, conveniently when the winter transfer window is open. If the Liverpool higher-ups are unable to broker a peace deal, then chances are the forward could be heading to Saudi Arabia.
“The club have made the right decision in terms of [Salah] not going abroad now,” said Carragher.
Whether he will play for Liverpool again, I don’t know. I hope he does, because he is one of the greatest players we’ve ever had. But if you continue like that and make statements like that if he doesn’t play, who knows?”
