Arjun Menon
Salah’s Apology and Team Reaction
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has apologised to his teammates following his recent controversial comments, according to Reds midfielder Curtis Jones.
In a heated interview, Salah expressed feeling like he had been “thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and indicated that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had deteriorated. These remarks came after a challenging period for Liverpool, including a 3-3 draw at Leeds United on 6 December, where Salah was an unused substitute.
Salah was subsequently dropped for a Champions League victory at Inter Milan but returned as a substitute in a home win against Brighton. Addressing the situation, Jones shared with Sky Sports, “Mo is his own man and he can say his own stuff. He apologised to us [saying], ‘if I’ve affected anybody or made you feel any sort of way, I apologise’. That’s the man that he is.”
Jones further described Salah’s demeanor, stating, “He was positive as well. He was the exact same Mo. He had a big smile on his face and everybody was exactly the same with him. I guess it’s just part of wanting to be a winner and I don’t think he will be the last.”
Salah’s Contribution and Future Uncertainty
Despite the controversy, Salah played a crucial role in Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Brighton at Anfield, delivering the corner that led to Hugo Ekitike‘s goal. The home fans showed their support by singing Salah’s chant, and he acknowledged their support with a lap of the pitch before joining the Egypt squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Salah’s comments have raised questions about his future at Liverpool, especially with interest from Saudi Pro League clubs and the upcoming January transfer window. Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher criticized Salah’s remarks as a “disgrace,” while ex-Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton described the situation as causing “carnage” at the club.
Slot and Jones on Moving Forward
Speaking ahead of the game against Tottenham, Slot stated, “we moved on,” attempting to put the issue behind them. Jones echoed this sentiment, saying, “I get that there are certain ways you can go about things, but if a lad’s fine to just be on the bench and he doesn’t want to play and help the team, then I think that’s more of an issue.”
Jones added, “When there’s been any sort of anger from us, including myself, it’s always been from a good place. In the moment, it might not have come out in the right way, but it’s never been to affect the team, the staff, the manager, anybody like that. We’re past that now and we’re gelling well as a team, playing well and starting to win games.”
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