Liverpool information: Mo Salah warned ‘you are not Lionel Messi’ after Virgil van Dijk’s assist
Mohamed Salah accused Liverpool of throwing him ‘under the bus’ after being benched for the second time in three Premier League games, prompting a harsh response
Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah has sent shockwaves through Anfield after his explosive rant against the club following yet another miserable result this time at Leeds.
The Egyptian forward has hinted at a conspiracy against him within the club, prompting a former Red to deliver a brutal reality check involving Lionel Messi. The 33-year-old found himself warming the bench for the second occasion in three Premier League matches on Saturday.
He was forced to watch helplessly as Ao Tanaka’s dramatic 96th-minute leveller secured a 3-3 draw for Leeds at Elland Road. Despite his frustrations, Salah hasn’t been completely abandoned at Anfield. Here’s the latest Liverpool news as beleaguered boss Arne Slot and his squad frantically attempt to steady the ship.
Salah receives brutal “you’re not Messi” reality check
A third consecutive stint on the sidelines at Leeds proved the final straw for the frustrated forward. Shortly after Liverpool’s latest squandered chance, he launched a scathing attack on both club and manager, leaving supporters stunned, reports the Mirror.
“I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why,” declared Salah following Saturday’s draw. “It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.
“That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they kept the promise.
“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me at the club.”
These remarks didn’t go down well with ex-Reds frontman Stan Collymore, who fired back on X following Salah’s public appeal. The former striker showed little compassion for the Egyptian winger as he reminded him of his place in the pecking order.
“Mo Salah. A very long read,” penned the 54-year-old, who netted 35 goals in 81 appearances for Liverpool. “I think I know a little about LFC, its supporters and how they view their club. Shaped of course by [Bill] Shankly then [Bob] Paisley, Kenny [Dalglish], Jurgen [Klopp] and now Slot.
“One thing remains constant, perhaps more than any other English club, it’s always the club first and last, players and managers add their DNA to the club, but the club trumps the individual.”
Collymore acknowledged Salah as one of the club’s “pantheon of greats” and showed understanding for his predicament.
Nevertheless, he also pointed out how Slot has earned the right to be respected after clinching the title in his maiden campaign, serving as a warning to Salah that he might be overstepping the mark.
He went on: “Only in the madness of 2025 modern football would the cult of personalities not only question a reasonable conclusion of ‘you’re not playing well, here’s a spell on the bench’.
“But Mo maybe has almost tricked himself onto elevating himself to the untouchable status of Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, players who could, if they chose, literally do and say as they pleased in the last decade. Mo isn’t them, and Liverpool as I said, isn’t that club either.”
Collymore then outlined a possible path back from the brink, though it’s hardly aided by Liverpool’s lowly ninth-place league position. The Merseysiders will require every one of their marquee names fully committed if they’re to rescue anything meaningful from this campaign, with Salah’s unrest presenting yet another unwanted hurdle.
Van Dijk’s support
Salah’s outburst followed just days after fellow Anfield stalwart Van Dijk spoke about how the club “needs” Salah to flourish. Yet even those sharing the changing room may find themselves rattled by his recent remarks.
“We need him and he will still be important like he has been,” declared the Dutchman before the journey to Elland Road. “He is still a fantastic player. We still have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that. I need him around as one of the leaders. I’m not worried.
“He’s disappointed but that’s absolutely normal as if you’re not disappointed when you’re not playing two games in a row then there is an issue as well. But it’s onto the next now.”
That attitude of “onto the next” has become far too familiar at Liverpool during their current slump. The Reds’ record now shows merely four victories from their previous 15 matches across all competitions, with concerns mounting that they could miss out on Champions League qualification next season.
Similar to Salah, Van Dijk penned a fresh two-year deal at the close of last campaign to prolong his Anfield tenure. Looking back though, the club might feel some remorse over handing out expensive new contracts to two players who have arguably been amongst the most disappointing this season.
