Gary Neville Questions Mo Salah Comments as Liverpool Tensions Surface Around Arne Slot
Salah Remarks Leave Liverpool Facing Difficult Week
Speaking on the latest episode of the Gary Neville Podcast, Gary Neville delivered a striking assessment of Mo Salah’s recent comments regarding Liverpool and Arne Slot, describing them as “a direct attack”.
Neville’s discussion with presenter Rob centred on the fallout from Salah’s remarks about wanting Liverpool to return to “heavy metal football”, comments that have sparked debate around Slot’s authority at Anfield.
Neville did not soften his view. “It’s certainly been undermined publicly,” he said when asked whether Arne Slot’s authority had been damaged by Salah’s comments. “Mo Salah is walking out of the door and as he’s just literally sort of about to get to the door and open it and walk out, he’s pulled the pin out of a grenade and lobbed it back into the room.”
The former Manchester United captain acknowledged the scale of Salah’s influence at Liverpool, explaining why the situation is so delicate for the club hierarchy. “You have a player of that ilk, of that stature, of that personality. You can never keep them quiet,” Neville said. “They have power. They have control themselves. They have a fearlessness that means that they don’t care what they say.”
Arne Slot Under Pressure Despite Liverpool Success
Neville also recognised the complicated backdrop surrounding Liverpool’s current situation. While Salah’s comments have created tension, he still praised Arne Slot’s achievements since replacing Jürgen Klopp.
“I really like Arne Slot,” Neville said on the podcast. “I think he to win a league in his first season was an exceptional achievement.”
He continued by highlighting Liverpool’s continued competitiveness despite a turbulent period at the club. “To get into the Champions League this year, which I believe he will do again, I think demonstrates that there’s still an element of consistency against a lot of things that have gone wrong in the club in the last 12 months that has been out of their control.”
Yet Neville made clear that Salah’s remarks have created real discomfort inside Liverpool. “The pain that that causes is deep for Arne Slot, for his staff, for the Liverpool executives,” he said. “It does really hit hard that one because he’s a player that’s loved by the fans.”
The podcast also touched on reactions from other Liverpool players online, something Neville admitted would concern him if he were in Slot’s position.
“I believe there were four or five players liked his comment,” Rob suggested during the discussion.
Neville responded bluntly: “Those three or four that are in there that have liked his comment are the ones that I’d be thinking, are they with me?”
Liverpool Cannot Afford Fallout With Mo Salah
Despite the tension, Neville insisted Liverpool have little choice but to honour Salah properly before his departure.
“He will play in the final game because he’s done too much,” Neville explained. “The idea of Liverpool looking petty and then now not playing him next week and forbidding him his final farewell would cause the club serious damage.”
Neville then added one of the podcast’s more memorable lines: “They’re going to have to suck on the lemon this week.”
That phrase neatly summed up his belief that Liverpool’s leadership must absorb the criticism and move forward carefully.
Importantly, Neville also suggested Salah’s intentions may have come from a place of genuine concern for Liverpool rather than bitterness.
“Mo Salah will believe what he said is the right thing to say for the football club,” Neville explained.
Still, the wider damage could linger. Neville described Liverpool as a club that has received “a lot of plaudits over the last five, six, seven years for being well run, for being disciplined, for being efficient”, before warning that “their sporting department is taking a bit of a whack right now”.
Uncertain Summer Ahead at Anfield
For Liverpool, the coming months now feel increasingly significant. Salah’s departure already represented the end of an era, but Neville’s comments on the Gary Neville Podcast highlighted how quickly uncertainty can spread when questions emerge around leadership and dressing room unity.
Arne Slot remains a Premier League winning manager with strong backing from many supporters, but Salah’s public remarks have undeniably intensified scrutiny around Liverpool’s direction.
As Neville concluded, “It’ll be interesting to see what happens.”
