Liverpool legend Steven Nicol criticises Mohamed Salah for his Saturday statement that appeared to take aim at Arne Slot
Mohamed Salah made his feelings clear on Saturday
Mohamed Salah made his feelings clear on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)
View Image
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has expressed his disappointment in Mohamed Salah, saying the Egypt superstar lacked class for the social media post that appeared to take aim at Arne Slot.
Salah was a second-half substitute at Aston Villa on Friday night as he returned after two games out with a hamstring issue in a 4-2 defeat at Villa Park that leaves the Reds potentially in need of a result on the final day at home to Brentford on Sunday.
On Saturday, Salah published a statement on his social media channels that was widely interpreted as a dig at head coach Slot, saying: "I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies."
And Nicol, who won four First Division titles, three FA Cups and the 1984 European Cup at Anfield, has criticised Salah for his public statement, which comes in a season where the third highest goalscorer of all time on Merseyside also accused the club of being "thrown under the bus".
"He is somebody who every single Liverpool fan have looked up ever since he put a red shirt on and he's done nothing but give his heart and his soul and everything to Liverpool and Liverpool fans and Liverpool Football Club," Nicol told ESPN.
"But to do this now, right at the end of his time at Liverpool, I think it is complete and utter madness. And I don't understand. Is he angry? Is he angry at the manager? I mean come on. I don't understand why he is doing it.
"You know, everyone is looking forward to saying goodbye to Mohamed Salah. So why do you want to go and tarnish it? There will be some who will be looking at it and thinking: 'Hang on a second, why are you criticising our club?'
"We all know it's been tough season. We all know things haven't gone well. We all know Arne Slot hasn't good a great job this year. So why are you shoving it down everyone's throat? I can't tell you how disappointed I am in it, you know.
"I think the guy has been absolutely superb for Liverpool, he's been a fantastic player and up until now, for me, he has conducted himself at the highest level and then he goes and does this."
Nicol, who made 468 appearances for the club between 1981 and 1995, believes 33-year-old Salah is struggling to come to terms with his diminishing importance to a club he has represented with distinction since 2017.
Nicol added: "Liverpool have had so many fantastic players over the last 40 years.
"You know the whole thing started in the mid-60s, all the way through to when I left and Liverpool were struggling, and then they came back again, and then they struggled and then they came back with Jurgen Klopp.
"The amount of quality, world-class players that have been in the very same position that he finds himself in now. His time has come, he is at the back end of his career and it happens to every single one of us as professionals.
"But at Liverpool, there have been so many stars who have finished their time there and haven't been regular starters [at the end] that have gone through similar things that this guy has gone through and how many of them do you remember have come out criticising the club, the manager, the team or anybody else?
"Because you don't do it. It's called class. That's what it's called and he has shown in that statement he doesn't have the class of his former veterans at Liverpool who showed absolute class, who were in the same position and I'll repeat it.
"Because when we come to the end of our careers, the only thing that happens is you end up on the bench and then you end up not even on the bench.
"It happens to us all, so that is a lack of class from Mo Salah, which I can't believe I thought I would ever say that."
FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page