Mohamed Salah has been dropped by Arne Slot and made his feelings clear but Alan Shearer would have handled things differently after his own Newcastle experience
Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer has reflected on his own experience of being dropped by Ruud Gullit whilst discussing Mohamed Salah’s situation at Liverpool.
In 1999, Shearer found himself on the substitutes’ bench for the Tyne-Wear derby, with Sunderland’s victory in that match creating enormous controversy before the Dutchman was sacked from his role.
The pair worked together briefly on Tyneside, with Shearer later acknowledging their relationship remained ‘frosty’ for an extended period afterwards. Having endured being benched as the club’s star player, Shearer is perhaps ideally placed to offer insight into Salah’s circumstances.
Whilst the Newcastle legend showed understanding for Salah’s current plight, he indicated he would have approached matters differently.
Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer said: “I get his frustration and anger and I totally understand the way he will be feeling. I had a similar situation when Ruud Gullit left me out [at Newcastle United] and wanted me out of the club.”
Podcast host Gary Lineker interjected to ask: “You didn’t say anything publicly though, did you Alan?” Shearer responded: “No I didn’t, I don’t think you can and that’s why I think he’s sort of got it wrong on this occasion.
“Mo Salah has been unbelievable for that football club. I get how he may look at it, but the bigger picture is no one – I don’t care who you are – is bigger than the club.
“It’s a really difficult situation for the manager and him, it probably is best that he goes away for AFCON to try and clear his head, start games again and try to get his frustration out.
“Then, hopefully he’ll come back into a more settled situation where Liverpool are winning. What I will say is the manager has got a choice of who to play and if he doesn’t play Salah, the manager has to then win matches and I know they won at West Ham, but the last two results against Leeds United and Sunderland.
Shearer continued: “So when the manager does leave big players out, he has to get the results to justify it and at the minute they’re not getting it. So it is a very difficult situation for Liverpool. But, he should not come out and say those things.”
He has since disclosed that matters between him and Gullit have been resolved, with Slot presumably hoping for a similar outcome with Salah – albeit without losing his position.
Shearer explained: “Viewers are asking what the atmosphere is like with Ruud Gullit and I in the Match of the Day studio. When Gullit was Newcastle boss he dropped me to face Sunderland in 1999. We lost and he left the next day.
“It was frosty for years and when we were first on TV together it was uneasy. But we have worked on different shows for a while now and played golf together.
“He accepts he could have handled things differently and from my view it has long since been time to move on. Life is too short.”