Mo Salah learns Liverpool owners FSG's stance on 'unthinkable' Arne Slot decision

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Arne Slot retains full support from Liverpool's owners despite Mohamed Salah's explosive recent comments . On Saturday, the Egyptian forward sent shockwaves around Merseyside by saying he no longer has a relationship with his manager , who had left him out of the starting XI for three matches in a row.

Salah went further, claiming he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club and that promises made when he renewed his contract in April were not fulfilled. His inflammatory remarks added more pressure on Slot , who is already under scrutiny after a poor run in which Liverpool have lost nine of their last 15 games in all competitions.

Nevertheless, Slot's position is not thought to be in immediate danger. The Athletic reports that sources believe it would be "unthinkable" for Liverpool to sack a manager simply because a player publicly questioned a selection choice.

If anything, the backlash seems to have hurt Salah, whose future at Anfield now hangs in the balance. Some insiders interpret the interview as an attempt to undermine the manager. However, Liverpool's owners, FSG , are refusing to engage in a power struggle and remain committed to giving Slot the time and authority to restore the team's form.

Salah's outburst did not come entirely out of the blue. But while many inside the club knew he was frustrated about being left out, few anticipated him taking such an extreme step.

Several team-mates expected some reaction after noticing a shift in Salah's mood on Friday, when he discovered he would again start on the bench against Leeds. The 33-year-old watched from the sidelines as Liverpool surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw 3-3 at Elland Road.

This was the second occasion in a week that Salah was an unused substitute, having also sat out Liverpool's 2-0 victory over West Ham at the end of last month. He did come off the bench in the midweek draw with Sunderland but struggled to make an impact.

Slot's choice to drop Salah - who has been an almost automatic starter on the right flank for nearly a decade - was always going to raise eyebrows. Yet those who took his place, Dominic Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo , have both scored in recent games.

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Salah's form this season has been disappointing. He has netted just five goals in 19 appearances across all competitions and appears a shadow of the player who scored 34 times last season.

His decline started toward the end of the 2024/25 season. Since signing his contract extension, Salah has managed only seven goals in 30 matches, raising doubts over whether he has eased off since committing his future to Liverpool.

Despite his dip in form, there was no indication of tension with Slot as he started the first 12 league games of this season. The situation only shifted when he was left out at West Ham nine days ago.

His mood worsened when he was not reinstated to the line-up against Sunderland - but remaining on the bench throughout Saturday's match with Leeds finally pushed him over the edge.

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After the game, Salah voiced his frustration. "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 is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame," he said.

"I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games so I can't say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club."

He suggested he should not have to fight for his place in the squad. "It is not acceptable for me. I don't know why this is happening to me. I don't get it. I think if this was somewhere else, every club would protect its player," he added.

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"How I see it now is like you throw Mo under the bus because he is the problem in the team now. But I don't think I am the problem. I have done so much for this club. The respect, I want to get. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. It's football. It is what it is."

A January move - permanent or on loan - now seems more likely. Salah has long been linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League and although his contract extension earlier this year had quelled those rumours, interest from the Middle East is expected to rise following his comments.

Still, Liverpool are believed to view Salah's benching as temporary - and if relations between him, Slot and the club improve, there is no reason he cannot remain at Anfield and see out his contract as initially planned.

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