Not long after Mohamed Salah announced he is leaving Liverpool, Roy Keane had a theory of his own on what has been happening between the Egyptian and Arne Slot at Anfield
Gary Neville has firmly rebuffed Roy Keane’s theory on Mohamed Salah(Image: Stick to Football)
Gary Neville swiftly dismissed Roy Keane’s suggestion Arne Slot has been instructed by Liverpool’s top brass to select Mohamed Salah. Salah, 33, announced he will leave Anfield at the end of the season in an emotional video uploaded to his social media page.
His departure will bring down the curtain on a nine-year spell which has seen him become the club’s highest ever Premier League goalscorer. However, this campaign has been a troubling one for Salah, as he has not been as prolific in front of goal and also had a huge falling out with Arne Slot before the Africa Cup of Nations.
But since his return from the competition in Morocco, Salah has been one of the first names on Slot’s team-sheet, despite there not being too much improvement in his performances. Jamie Carragher has admitted he has been left baffled by Salah’s regular inclusions, suggesting his displays have not warranted a place in the starting line-up.
After the ex-Liverpool defender made his opinion clear, Keane suggested the powers that be at Liverpool may have been pressuring Slot to deploy the ex-Chelsea forward. It was then Neville interjected to shut both suggestions down.
On the Stick to Football podcast, Carragher began the discussion by saying: “What I think is interesting, [is] since they had that spat when he [Slot] didn’t play him, since he came back from AFCON, he has played every game.
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“Even Liverpool fans who love Salah, and I’m one of them, have looked at games and gone ‘he shouldn’t be playing’, but I wonder if the manager has gone the other way and though ‘I don’t need that hassle’.”
Keane jumped in and put his own theory on the table, saying: “Maybe Slot has been under pressure from those above. I think that’s the issue,” to which Neville then interjected: “I’m not sure on that, no no.
A Liverpool theory for Arne Slot’s latest Mohamed Salah decisions has been suggested by Roy Keane(Image: Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“Look, to be fair, I don’t know Liverpool Football Club. I have no knowledge of their background team. I honestly believe if Liverpool’s hierarchy are telling their manager who to pick… I don’t think they would cross that line.”
Carragher later said: “I agree with you, but my point is, Slot was strong enough to not pick the highest-paid player, but ever since, he’s just been in the team every single game.”
Since Egypt’s elimination from AFCON, Salah has appeared in 14 of a possible 15 Liverpool matches. He sat out last weekend’s loss to Brighton due to injury, though Slot anticipates his return following the international break.
Alisson may, however, remain side-lined when their FA Cup quarter-final clash away at Manchester City comes around. Four days after that fixture, Liverpool travel to the Parc Des Princes, with Slot presumably eager to have him available for the first leg, considering his exceptional display at the same stadium just over 12 months ago.
Alisson missed Liverpool’s defeat at Brighton(Image: (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images))
The league fixture against Fulham and the second leg at Anfield are then followed by a Merseyside Derby away at Everton later in the month. Alexander Isak might be fit for some of those encounters having accelerated his rehabilitation in recent weeks, although Slot has maintained a cautious stance regarding his potential return.
He said earlier this month: “Alex is not available for tomorrow [vs Brighton], but the fact that you see him on the pitch tells you that he gets closer and closer to joining us again. He will not be available for Saturday as well. As long as you don’t train with the team yet, you are not ready to play.”
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