Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has sympathized with Mohamed Salah after his public outburst against the club but believes his comments about being ‘thrown under the bus’ went too far.
Club talisman Salah sparked a media storm with comments after last weekend’s Premier League match against Leeds United, claiming he had been made a scapegoat for Liverpool’s poor form and that his relationship with boss Arne Slot has deteriorated.
Salah was an unused substitute against Leeds, as he played against West Ham United last month, and was left out of the squad altogether for Tuesday’s visit to Inter Milan.
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«In Mo’s shoes, as a player, he thinks this is the first time he has had a difficult period. ‘This is the moment I need the manager, this is the moment I need the club, this is the moment I need more support,'» Gerrard said. TNT Sports’ The Analysis on Wednesday.
«Maybe he feels like he doesn’t have that. This is his first dip in form in eight years and that is remarkable.»
Salah has won two Premier League titles and the Champions League with Liverpool and last month became only the third player in the club’s history to reach the 250-goal milestone, joining Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.
His performances this season have fallen, coinciding with Liverpool’s struggles in the Premier League, where the club will almost certainly surrender the title.
«He’s obviously very angry that he’s not playing, which I respect. He wants to help the team, which I respect,» said Gerrard. “A few rules about throwing people under the bus are wrong, he needs to deviate from that a little bit and he needs to discuss that with the manager.
“I know that over time, when this all calms down, Mo will think: ‘I shouldn’t have said that, I was a bit emotional, I was a bit rushed’.
«Ultimately, Liverpool Football Club needs Mo Salah to play well and score goals because he is the best player, the best scorer. In my opinion, he will help them out of this ‘crisis’,» Gerrard said.
Liverpool are tenth in the Premier League, ten points behind leaders Arsenal, but Gerrard believes there are mitigating factors and still believes the team can turn out well.
«Can Liverpool get back to where they want to be quickly? I think so,» he said. «If they have a good January and get the balance right, (Alexander) Isak gets fitter, (Florian) Wirtz finds his feet, solve the Salah problem, then Liverpool won’t be far away.»
Published on December 10, 2025
