Liverpool players have responded to a charged social media post from Mohamed Salah, which many supporters have interpreted as a thinly veiled criticism of manager Arne Slot.
The reaction came following a bruising 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa on Friday night — a result that dealt a serious blow to the club’s hopes of securing Champions League football.
Villa ruthlessly exploited Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities throughout the match, extending what has become an alarming pattern of defensive frailty this season. Both of Liverpool’s goals arrived via Virgil van Dijk headers — a far cry from the dynamic, high-tempo attacking play the club has long been associated with.
Salah, who recently confirmed he will be departing Anfield at the end of the season, came off the bench in the second half with Villa already firmly in control.
The Egyptian has not always seen eye to eye with Slot. In December, he publicly suggested he had been used as a scapegoat during a difficult run of results, though the pair appeared to have moved on from the friction. His latest post, however, has reignited questions about the mood behind the scenes.
In a passionate message shared across X and Instagram, Salah appeared to take aim at the more measured, methodical style of play under Slot, calling for a return to the relentless, high-intensity “heavy metal football” that defined the Jurgen Klopp era.
Salah described watching Liverpool lose again as deeply painful, and expressed a desire to see the club recapture the ferocious attacking identity that once struck fear into opponents across Europe. He stressed that Liverpool must rebuild itself as a trophy-winning machine, and that any player pulling on the shirt must fully commit to that vision.
The post quickly gained traction within the squad. Curtis Jones responded with a clapping emoji before sharing his own message thanking supporters through what he acknowledged had been a disappointing season that fell well short of the club’s expectations.
Several other Liverpool players also liked Salah’s post, among them Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson, Wataru Endo, Jeremie Frimpong and Harvey Elliott — gestures that have only deepened the conversation surrounding Liverpool’s future direction under Slot.
