Mo Salah failed to make much of an impact during his return to Liverpool after a controversial six weeks.
The Egyptian shocked the world of football by declaring that the Reds had ‘thrown him under the bus’ at the start of December having been dropped from the team by Arne Slot.
Salah was subsequently reintegrated with an appearance off the bench before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, where he led Egypt to a fourth-place finish.
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What did you think of Salah’s return to the starting XI?
It was his first start since November 26th 😱
Mohamed Salah puts his hand on his head after missing a chance during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Marseille at Stade Velodrome (Getty Images/Justin Setterfield).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Justin Setterfield
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Wednesday marked the next step in the saga, as Salah played 90 minutes during Liverpool‘s comfortable 3-0 Champions League victory against Marseille.
But although the 33-year-old could not really get going – and missed a glorious chance to score – Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf has urged Slot to keep Salah onside and keep him in the team.
Arne Slot told to keep playing Mohamed Salah
After everything that has happened across the past six weeks or so, it was great to see Salah back out on the pitch for Liverpool on Wednesday.
Troy Deeney has urged the Reds to sell Salah immediately on the back of his performance in Marseille, but speaking to Amazon Prime Video on TikTok, Seedorf struck a different tone.
Mohamed Salah puts his hands on his head after missing a chance during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against Marseille at Stade Velodrome
Photo by Stuart Franklin – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
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“That is a very easy one. I think there is nothing different than what has been done until today,” he said.
“Mo Salah and Liverpool, for me, are one. Integrate Mo Salah, one of your best players, make sure that the team, you know, continues to do what it has done over the years with Mo Salah. Nothing new.”
Although Seedorf appears to have been speaking before Wednesday’s match, his standpoint is unlikely to have changed based on any of the evidence at Stade Velodrome.
Who was your man of the match during the win over Marseille?
Nice to have a few contenders!
Olympique Marseille v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League
Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates /Getty Images
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How does Arne Slot fit Salah back in?
There are two question marks over whether Slot can ultimately take Seedorf’s advice and reintegrate Salah successfully.
The first is a case of whether the Egyptian actually wants a way back under the current head coach. After Leeds, that did not look at all likely, but the AFCON-enforced distance does appear to have led to cooler heads prevailing.
In reality, Slot did not have many options against Marseille and it would have been a real statement to have left Salah out again, but had things still been heated off the pitch, he likely would have done anyway. That suggests a positive resolution in this department.
Secondly, Slot needs to find a playing system that suits Salah along with Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and, eventually, Alexander Isak.
Wednesday was a sign that there is a way home for Liverpool there too, with Salah and Ekitike acting as wide central forwards in a way which allowed Wirtz to thrive, too. As far as first steps go, it was a good one, despite a slightly below-par performance from Salah. If things continue in a good way, there is no reason a full return to the old ways should not be expected.
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