Roy Keane has warned Mohamed Salah's Liverpool exit announcement could 'turn nasty' while Jamie Carragher expects the Egyptian to receive a 'big send-off' from Anfield
Roy Keane contributing on a podcast
Roy Keane believes Mohamed Salah's exit could yet turn nasty(Image: YouTube/Stick to Football)
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Mohamed Salah's choice to publicly declare his Liverpool exit could prove to be a mistake, according to Roy Keane. The former Manchester United skipper reckons the announcement might backfire and result in a bitter ending if Liverpool's campaign continues to underwhelm.
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher suggested that the Egyptian superstar is destined for a 'big send-off', though he's hoping it will take place in Budapest at the Champions League final rather than at Anfield. However, Keane couldn't resist painting a bleaker scenario.
Salah is poised to conclude his Liverpool stint after nine years with the club. The 33-year-old confirmed he would leave the club with 12 months still remaining on his contract this summer, wanting to offer fans clarity at an early juncture.
Carragher expects that Salah will be given a warm farewell, and believes he's entitled to one.
Speaking on The Overlap when asked about Salah by Gary Neville, Carragher said: "I think a player of that level – that's something I said in January when all the talk of him going to AFCON, 'Will he come back, will he play for Liverpool again?' I think I said at the time, it'll be sad if Mo Salah leaves now. There's still a second half of the season to go, you get that big send-off.
"It's not about a big send off, by the way, it's a nice thing. The best send-off for him is in Budapest. That's what I'm sure he's thinking, he doesn't want his last game to be at Anfield, he wants his last game to be in the Champions League, that will be tough with the draw, but that's what the idea should be."
Keane, however, isn't so certain that things will unfold quite so seamlessly. "I'm not sure it's ideal timing to announce that," he retorted.
"I don't know why he doesn't wait until the end of the season. Last year, there was the noise, 'This could be my last game at Old Trafford.' He played all of those games last year before he signed his new deal. If Liverpool finish the season really badly, and they've not been great, and he's in games.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool
Mohamed Salah is set to leave Liverpool in the summer(Image: Ryan Crockett/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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"We saw it with Trent a little bit, in different circumstances. Is he leaving and then he has a bad game against United. So just say they come off it in the last month or two, and they don't do anything in the cup matches, and he's not at his best, they'll be saying, 'He's already left the club and his heart is not in it.'"
Keane cautioned: "I think that can turn a bit nasty, so this idea of a parade... it would be different if they were Arsenal, top of the league, they're going to win the league like last year. I'm not sure about the timing. I don't know why he doesn't wait until the end of the season and go, 'I've done my bit.'"
Carragher interjected: "I've got no problem with the timing to be fair."
But Keane stood firm on his view. "If he has a bad game the next two or three weeks, we saw Liverpool fans booing Trent when he was playing against United and not quite at it. Different circumstances, I know," Keane continued.
"If Salah is jumping out of tackles... 'He's already left the building.' Especially when they're trying to battle for fourth or fifth. I just don't know why you don't wait until the end of the season.
"Liverpool have a lot on their plate, don't turn into another circus act, last season got a bit silly towards the end of the season. It can turn the other way, fans can turn a little bit if he's not been at it.
"Just say Liverpool fall off and they don't get the top four or five, they've got teams behind them like Everton, and they finish really badly. Salah's in the game and misses one or two chances, you know what fans are like, 'He's already switched off, he's left the building.'"
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