Arne Slot has said he believes man-management “is by far” the most important aspect of his job, so leaving out Mo Salah left him “uneasy.”
Thankfully, Salah and Slot have come to a truce over the Egyptian’s comments in December that he had been ‘thrown under a bus’.
Having started three consecutive games on the bench, Salah claimed he no longer had “any relationship” with the head coach and that ‘someone didn’t want him at the club’.
The No. 11 was subsequently left at home for Liverpool’s win away at Inter Milan, but he was reintegrated and started his first game back from AFCON in Marseille.
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - Wednesday, January 21, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah before the UEFA Champions League match between Olympique de Marseille and Liverpool FC at the Stade Vélodrome. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“I always find it uneasy if I leave a player out and even more a player that has meant a lot for this club,” Slot told media including the Liverpool Echo.
“You can work with a player for a long time and you have had success with them, but part of my job is making the decision that I think is the best for the team.
“But that is always an uneasy decision. Not only with Mo but every single player I leave out because of the work they put in. Their quality is enough to play, so it is always uneasy not to play players.”
Andy Robertson has been another legend of the club that Slot has dropped from the starting XI, and the 31-year-old could now move to Tottenham as he aims to stay sharp ahead of captaining Scotland at the World Cup.
Slot added: “I think every player knows that a manager needs to make decisions and I think every player 99 out of 100 times is disagreeing with the manager if he doesn’t play.
“It should be like that because if you don’t have confidence in yourself then it is hard to play in front of 60,000 people. These players should have confidence that ‘I am good enough to play and I should play’.
“I am not talking solely about Mo, but everyone now. I think it is always hard for any player who is left out because they want to help and show they are able to help the team.
“Mo is definitely one of them. He is not a player who says ‘leave me out for five times in a row’ – everyone has seen that. But everyone is the same in that regard.”
Arne Slot: Man-management “by far” the most important part of job
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, January 12, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot before the FA Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Barnsley FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Slot won over supporters by winning the league in his first season, but if there were any lingering doubts, it was in the squad management department.
These worries have been exacerbated by Liverpool’s poor form this campaign, with fringe players not trusted in the same way they were under predecessor Jurgen Klopp.
“Both situations take a lot of man-management,” Slot explained.
“People think that when you win it is easy – you just come in, walk to your office, walk to the pitch and things are done.
“No. There is a lot to do then as well because, as we all know, players can get over-confident.”
LONDON, ENGLAND - Thursday, January 8, 2026: (L-R) Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot and Florian Wirtz exchange words after the FA Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at the Emirates Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
A recent example of man-management which has been noticeably strange was when he bluntly said there were “better options” than Calvin Ramsay – it may be true but is hardly a confidence-boosting line.
His words were omitted from the club’s official website and the Dutchman has since noticeably name-dropped the youngster as a contender to play, perhaps in acknowledgement of his previous comments.
Slot does believe in the importance of individual relationships, however, saying: “Man-management is always one of the main things.
“People think about tactics but man-management is the one that is by far (the most important).”
Hopefully, we begin to see an improvement in this area because as much as the head coach would like a small squad, if Liverpool are to compete on all fronts, they will need more than just Slot’s favourite 14 on board.
While Slot may not believe he has all the assets he requires, saying it out loud isn’t conducive to creating the kind of environment needed to win even when the squad has injuries and absences.