The 33-year-old forward, who has scored 188 Premier League goals for Liverpool since 2017, voiced deep frustration on Saturday.
He accused the club of “throwing him under the bus,” said his relationship with manager Arne Slot had broken down, and suggested next weekend’s match against Brighton could be his final Anfield appearance before the Africa Cup of Nations.
With Liverpool stuck in mid-table after winning only one of their last five league games, the seven-minute interview, delivered just eight months after Salah signed a contract extension to stay at Anfield until 2027, has intensified speculation about a possible January move, including reports linking him with Saudi Arabia’s Pro League.
While most English pundits condemned his comments as "embarrassing" and damaging to the team unity, others, including select journalists and fan influencers, argued that his frustration is understandable given his long-standing contribution to Liverpool and the club’s ongoing difficulties.
Fans loyalty to Salah runs deep
Liverpool supporters remain divided, with polls on X showing a slight majority viewing Salah’s interview as justified. Many fans accuse Slot and the club’s leadership of mishandling the situation.
Several accounts said Slot had “lost the dressing room,” claiming the breakdown in communication shows deeper problems at the club.
Others argued the timing of the interview was damaging, noting that many fans had recently called for Salah to be benched due to poor form.
Some accused Salah of hypocrisy for speaking up only after losing his starting place, while others insisted that his achievements and loyalty warranted more respect.
This Is Anfield comments echoed this, with Andy Kennedy saying, "Starting to believe the rumours... that there was tension in the dressing room brewing."
The reaction also revealed broader frustration among supporters about the club’s direction since Slot took over, with many calling for managerial changes.
Criticism dominates, but some defend Salah
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen urged Salah to wait until after AFCON to resolve the issue.
Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy called the episode “an exceptionally sad turn” in Salah’s Liverpool story and argued he has been unfairly depicted as the problem.
She pointed to other players in poorer form who continue to start and criticized the club’s silence on the matter. "He deserves infinitely more than this mess," she said.
While critiquing the public outburst as clashing with "The Liverpool Way," Reddy's balanced defence has struck a chord, framing Salah as a principled figure pushed to the brink.
Anfield Wrap presenter John Gibbons said it was unsurprising Salah reacted after being left out for three matches, suggesting the situation may be “exactly what the management wanted” ahead of a potential January exit.
Similarly, This Is Anfield writer Henry Jackson captured the broader media split in a Sunday piece, saying, "Many are firmly in Salah’s camp, feeling he has been scapegoated." He quoted fan comments like Waqar's: "This is not a spat between a manager and a player. The suits are engineering Salah’s exit."
On the other side, many figures criticized the interview, saying it added pressure to an already unsettled squad.
BBC Match of the Day pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy said Salah had made the situation “all about him.” "Whether you agree with him being left out or not, you don't deal with it like this." He argued the issue should have been handled privately.
Premier League co-commentator Jim Beglin accused Salah of “throwing Liverpool under the bus,” echoing the phrase Salah used about the club. His post racked up over 50,000 views and thousands of likes, underscoring the sentiment that no player, not even a legend, is above the institution.
Former striker Chris Sutton called the interview an “embarrassment,” saying players must accept being benched when out of form. Daily Mail columnist Ian Ladyman described Salah’s comments as “selfish” and damaging ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League match against Inter Milan.
ESPN’s Don Hutchison said Salah’s remarks were a “clear challenge to Slot’s authority,” while BBC’s Dion Dublin acknowledged the frustration but warned the interview risked worsening the situation for the manager.
Even former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher, whom Salah name-checked for urging him to "front up" publicly, has faced indirect heat, though he has yet to respond directly to the barb.
The Athletic’s James Pearce wrote that while Salah’s frustration was understandable, going public was “selfish and disrespectful.”
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore gave a more balanced view, acknowledging Salah’s stature at the club but arguing that the dispute should be resolved privately: “No player, however great, is bigger than the club.”
Tense chapter for Salah amid Saudi speculation
Speculation over a possible move to Saudi Arabia continues to grow, though Salah declined to comment when asked directly.
Commentators warn the row could escalate ahead of Slot’s press conference before the Brighton match, with some predicting further division.
For Salah, whose eight-and-a-half years at Anfield have yielded a Premier League title, Champions League glory, and individual accolades galore, this feels like an undeserved epilogue.
As Reddy put it, his evident “hurt and frustration” stems from a club that once promised him everything but now appears to be steering him toward the exit.
Ironically, as Piers Morgan’s nudge hints, Salah’s path could mirror Ronaldo’s in 2022, a bombshell interview criticizing his club, followed by a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.
Morgan chimed in with a cheeky X post quoting Fabrizio Romano’s update on Salah’s frustrations: “Wow… maybe time for an interview?”
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