Every phrase Arne Slot mentioned as Liverpool boss responds to ‘thrown underneath the bus’ Salah declare
Arne Slot spoke to the media ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Inter Milan on Tuesday evening – and he addressed Mo Salah’s bombshell claims
Arne Slot has responded to Mohamed Salah’s “thrown under the bus claim” during his pre-match press conference on Monday evening.
Slot faced the media before his Liverpool side jet off to Italy to face Inter Milan in the Champions League. However, Salah will not be making the trip after being left on the bench for the Reds past three games.
And Salah let his feelings be known after Liverpool suffered their latest setback during a 3-3 draw with Leeds on Saturday at Elland Road. He claimed “someone wanted me to get all of the blame”.
Arne Slot’s Mohamed Salah press conference comments in full:
“We let him know that he is not travelling. That was the only communication from us to him. Before Saturday, the two of us have spoken a lot. Sometimes longer and sometimes shorter.
“It is not the way I feel but he has the right to feel how he feels things. I have not felt that at all until Saturday evening.
“When I don’t play him anymore, usually players don’t like the manager then that much but he was always respectful to staff members and teammates. He trained very hard. It was a surprise to me that he gave the comments he gave.
“It is not the first and not the last when a player doesn’t play that he says something similar to what he did. My reaction to that is clear, that is that he is not here.
“We are sitting here on an evening before a big game and there is only 36 hours between the moment we conceded three to Leeds.
“I have tried to prepare my team in the best possible way. The most thoughts I have had are about tomorrow. After tomorrow, we will look at the situation again.
“I am a firm believer that there is always a possibility to return for a player. I can leave it with that.
On why Salah hasn’t been playing: “We as a team struggled this season with the game plans other teams had against us. I am not only talking about long ball style.
“I have tried to come up with solutions, that is my job. We have tried many things.
“We looked very vulnerable against Forest and PSV. I decided to play with an extra midfielder against West Ham, so I did it once more against Sunderland. I brought him in at half-time.”
On his authority: “I don’t feel my authority is undermined. It is not the way I feel it.
“It is not about me. It is not very important in a situation like this. It is if it is more difficult for the team or club.
“It is difficult to see that staff members are affected by the situation. Mainly because of the results but also what this has done. Not a good thing for us as a team.
“The focus I have is completely on the team and not me at all.”
On if it could have been avoided: “Then I would have to find out why he said what he said. I have to guess a little bit. Is it because he doesn’t play?
“Is it about me not playing him? What could I do differently? Playing him. Maybe that is not the reason he thinks and feels this way.
“He has the right to feel what he feels but he doesn’t have the right to share it with the media. He does, but then it is up to us to react on it.”
“Yes we were [on speaking terms] but it doesn’t mean we were always agreeing on things. I spoke to him twice in the week before, two days before Leeds.
“He was on the training ground and I told him he would not travel. That is not speaking with someone; it is, but not having a conversation. I will not go into details.”
