Salah's dramatic comments take center stage in Liverpool's ongoing crisis

LEEDS, England -- Mohamed Salah always picks his moments.

It is that impeccable sense of timing which has propelled the Egypt international to dizzying heights on the football pitch, where he has -- over the past eight-and-a-half years -- cemented his status as a true Liverpool great.

Likewise, Salah's track record for rare but often explosive interactions with the media indicates that the forward knew exactly how much carnage he would trigger by telling reporters he had been "thrown under the bus" by his club amid their torrid recent run of results.

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"Someone wants me to get all the blame," he said in an explosive seven-and-a-half-minute interview at Elland Road on Saturday night.

"[The] club promised me a lot in the summer. Now I'm on the bench, so I can say they haven't kept those promises. I used to have a good relationship [with Arne Slot]. Now we don't have any relationship, and I don't know why. [It] seems like someone does not want me in the club."

After Liverpool twice surrendered their lead in a six-goal thriller that ended 3-3 against newly promoted Leeds United, it is almost inconceivable that a player who watched the whole affair from the bench should dominate the postmatch headlines. But Salah is no ordinary player, and both for him and for Liverpool, these are extraordinary times.

It is less than eight months since Salah and head coach Slot enjoyed one of the finest days of their respective careers as Liverpool sealed the Premier League title in front of supporters at Anfield.

At that point, the ink had barely dried on the bumper two-year contract extension Salah had signed in early April, amid a stellar campaign in which he scored 34 goals in all competitions and claimed a host of individual prizes, including the PFA Players' Player of the Year Award.

But with Liverpool's title defense having veered drastically off course, it seems all cordiality between the Reds' talismanic forward and his boss has been eroded, with the pair's relationship now seemingly irretrievable. Last term, Salah pointed to Slot's willingness to absolve him of defensive responsibilities as one of the reasons for his scintillating form.

In February, the 33-year-old's notoriously outspoken agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, took to social media to publicly praise Slot, describing the Dutchman as being "excellent at his job."

Now, though, with Liverpool having won just four of their last 15 games in all competitions, it is clear that Salah has no intention of being the scapegoat for the club's drastic fall from grace.

"I don't know if someone wants me out," Salah said.

"Don't put words in my mouth, please. It's just how it feels. I asked, but I don't see an explanation. I knew I wasn't going to play [against Leeds]. It's just take it and swallow it. Arne told me yesterday. I had a meeting yesterday. He knows my feelings."

Less than a week has passed since Slot hailed Salah's professionalism after he had been dropped to the bench against West Ham United, insisting that he had handled himself well despite his obvious disappointment. It was the first time the winger had started a league game on the bench since April 2024 -- also against West Ham -- when he was involved in a touchline spat with previous manager Jurgen Klopp.

"If I speak, there will be fire," he said at the time, surely knowing that even uttering those seven words would spark major controversy. Still, Salah recovered resoundingly from that saga, going on a run of 53 consecutive starts in the top flight and sending another litany of records tumbling.

What the future holds for Salah now, however, remains unclear. After Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Nuno Espírito Santo's side last Sunday, Slot opted against bringing the forward into his starting lineup against both Sunderland and Leeds, and he played no part at all against the latter.

That Liverpool dropped points in both of those games is reflective of the fact that, while Salah's form has undeniably dipped this term -- he has just five goals in 18 appearances in all competitions -- he is far from their only problem.

Still, his latest comments have undoubtedly stoked the flames of unrest at a club that is desperately in need of a respite from the chaos.

The Egypt international told reporters on Saturday that he had asked his family to fly to Merseyside for next weekend's clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, which was already slated to be his last game before jetting off to Morocco to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations.

After his bombshell revelation, it may well prove to be his last game in a Liverpool shirt full stop, with speculation over a potential January exit likely to ramp up in the coming days.

Certainly, it seemed as if the forward was issuing the Anfield hierarchy with an ultimatum on Saturday, and now those in the club's corridors of power must decide whether to side with their third-highest goalscorer or the man who led them to Premier League glory last term.

That Slot is already under pressure on Merseyside, making a difficult situation even more complex for sporting director Richard Hughes and Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG). Against Leeds, the Reds once again exhibited the physical and psychological frailties that have dogged them all season, spurning a golden opportunity to move level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea.

One source has told ESPN that Liverpool's UEFA Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven last month was a "breaking-point moment" among some within the club, which, although not a loss that confirmed Slot's fate, was a result that raised concerns that had not previously surfaced during the poor results and performances going into that game.

That said, the fact remains that Liverpool are not a sacking club, and there is an acknowledgment from those inside Anfield that the team's slump does not rest squarely on Slot's shoulders. It is unlikely that the stance will be altered by a player choosing to publicly air his grievances, even if that player is a bona fide fan favorite.

Salah's outburst will inevitably incite an emotional reaction from supporters who have spent close to a decade revering him as their "Egyptian King," though those assessing the situation with a less emotional mindset may simply view the forward's comments as those of an aging star raging against the dying of the light.

It is only the fourth time in his Liverpool career that Salah has stopped to speak with written media after a game, having last done so in Nov. 2024, when he told reporters he was "more out than in" when it came to extending his stay at the club.

Those comments ultimately served as a prelude to Liverpool handing Salah a new deal that ensured he remained at Anfield. It may well be that his latest comments have the opposite effect.