‘Salah is destroying his legacy at Liverpool’: Wayne Rooney urges Liverpool boss Arne Slot to show his authority to Egyptian

Salah was benched for the match against Leeds, which was his third straight game where manager Arne Slot didn’t include the veteran in Liverpool’s starting XI. Earlier, Salah was not included in the starting XI in the Premier League games against West Ham United and Sunderland.

After the Leeds match, Salah reportedly chose to speak with a group of journalists in the mixed zone, clearly in a mood to vent his frustrations, claiming sensationally that his relationship with manager Arne Slot has now broken down. To the extent that it is now non-existent.

Asked what he felt was ‘unbelievable’, Salah started in what turned out to be one long answer: “That I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.”

Rooney questioned Salah’s decision to come out publicly with his comments. “He is absolutely destroying his legacy at Liverpool,” added the five-time Premier League winner. It would be sad for him to throw it all away. He’s gone about it all wrong.”

The Man United star said Salah was wrong to say “I don’t have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it”.

The former England forward added: “Time catches up with all of us, and this season he hasn’t looked as his best, at his sharpest. You want to see him roll his sleeves up and say ‘ok then, I’ll show you’. To have the arrogance to say he doesn’t have to earn his place because he has already earned his place, you need to be at your best every week to try and stay in the team. If I was one of his team-mates, I wouldn’t be happy at all with what he said because this is where Liverpool need him most.”

“If anything, he has thrown Liverpool under the bus with his words. He’s been absolutely incredible for Liverpool, but this was disrespectful to his team-mates, manager and fans. I would imagine he will be very quiet around the training ground and that will bring a negative energy in itself to the new players Arne has bedded in. I am sure over the next couple of years he will regret saying what he has,” continued Rooney.

‘Fix differences with Slot, or leave Liverpool’

Rooney also believes that Slot must now show his authority and not involve Salah in Liverpool’s Champions League fixture against Inter Milan or next Saturday’s home match with Brighton.

“Arne Slot has to show his authority and pull him in and say ‘you are not travelling with the team, what you said is not acceptable. Take yourself off to Afcon and let everything calm down. If I was him there would be no way he would be in the team.”

Rooney then said Salah needed to either work on his differences with Slot, or leave Liverpool.