Mohamed Salah will call time on his Liverpool career after the Reds' final-day clash with Wolves on Sunday, having issued a stinging criticism of the club's current playing style
Matt Addison Liverpool FC Reporter and Connor O'Neill Senior Sports Content Creator
19:47, 16 May 2026
Steven Gerrard talks on TNT Sports.
Steven Gerrard talks on TNT Sports.(Image: Cameron Smith - The FA via Getty Images)
Steven Gerrard has described Mohamed Salah's lengthy social media post as "damning" while questioning whether the Egyptian is speaking solely for himself or voicing the concerns of the wider Liverpool dressing room.
In his post, Salah called for Liverpool to return to being a "heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear" following its "crumbling" defeat to Aston Villa on Friday night.
The forward has never shied away from expressing his views, and Liverpool clinched the Premier League title last season under Slot, who succeeded the high-energy Jurgen Klopp. The forward's scathing critique of the Reds' current style of play has widely been interpreted as a thinly veiled dig at the under-pressure head coach.
READ MORE: 9 Liverpool stars react to Mohamed Salah's scathing message to Arne Slot and teammatesREAD MORE: Jamie Carragher identifies when Liverpool's problems started with brutal Arne Slot verdict
Gerrard believes the 33-year-old, who will bring his Anfield career to a close at the end of the season, has signaled to the wider world that all is not well within the Liverpool camp.
"Wow. Listen, that is extremely interesting," he told TNT Sports. "Mo Salah doesn't really speak much, and he doesn't tweet, and he certainly doesn't tweet like that.
"So I think that he's sending a message to the outside that things in that Liverpool dressing room are not right: the identity's gone and it's really hurting him to see it in front of his own eyes.
"I'm surprised of the timing. One game to go, his last game for Liverpool.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
"You guys know, you've been involved in the media: he very rarely speaks, he's done interviews lately because he's obviously bringing the curtain down on an incredible Liverpool career.
"But that is quite damning to the Liverpool manager and the staff in terms of where this team's at. That's my opinion on that.
"Is he speaking off his own back for the sake of everyone else in the dressing room? It's strange, it's unusual.
"He's going to be doing a load of media around his last game, I'm sure. I'm really looking forward to the coming days because that's unusual for a Liverpool player, and it's unusual for Mo Salah."
Liverpool's defeat against Unai Emery's side at Villa Park marked Liverpool's 19th defeat across all competitions this season, leaving its Champions League qualification in the balance.
Gerrard acknowledged the painful nature of how comprehensively the Reds were outplayed in the Midlands.
Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kits
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
From $100
LFC.com
See the deal
Liverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.
Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.
"Crumbling is a strong word," he added. "It's quite damning, the timing. It's unusual coming from Mo. The pressure's on the players and the pressure's on the manager because it's been nowhere near good enough.
"The performance last night was terrible, it was awful, it was difficult to watch from start to finish, and it hurt me watching Liverpool last night. I don't normally say that.
"It was a tough 90 minutes and they got what they deserved. Villa were better all over the pitch.
Article continues below
"There was no fight, no passion, no pattern of play, no connection, they're not moving around the pitch together, individuals were miles off what I know they can perform at. It hurt me to watch Liverpool last night; they were nowhere near good enough. Let's finish on that note."