Michael Owen hits out at Mo Salah after his bombshell interview and questions timing of Liverpool star’s explosive outburst
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has taken aim at Mohamed Salah for his fiery outburst following the Reds’ dramatic 3-3 draw against Leeds on Saturday night.
Salah, 33, stunned the footballing world on Saturday night when he launched a tirade on his club and manager Arne Slot, after being dropped for the third successive Premier League game.
The winger stated that he had ‘no relationship’ with Slot, after the Dutchman opted not to bring him on despite the champions’ obvious struggles during the 90 minutes, and that Liverpool have ‘thrown me under the bus’.
Owen, whose departure from Liverpool in 2004 was far from smooth, has given his verdict on Salah’s conduct.
Writing on social media app X, he said: ‘Oh @MoSalah. I can imagine how you feel. You’ve carried this team for a long time and won everything there is to win.
‘But this is a team game and you simply can’t publicly say what you’ve said. You’re going to AFCON in a week.
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Mohamed Salah stated he has ‘no relationship’ with Arne Slot after being an unused substitute in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds
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Michael Owen has expressed sympathy with Salah’s situation but believes he needed to ‘bite his lip’
‘Surely you bite your lip, enjoy representing your country and see how the land lies when you get back?’
Salah was forced to watch the entirety of Liverpool’s draw at Elland Road, in which they conceded a 96th-minute equaliser, from the substitutes’ bench.
The Egyptian star sought out reporters after the game for a bombshell rant about his situation, which has seen him benched for three straight games.
‘I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,’ he said. ‘That’s the third time. It’s the first time in my career I think.
‘(I am) very disappointed, I have done so much for this club over the years, especially last season. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel.
‘Someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me a lot in summer. Now I’m on bench so I can say they haven’t kept those promises.’
He added: ‘I called my mum and dad and told them to come to the Brighton game. It doesn’t matter if I play or not. I’m going to enjoy it. I’m just going to be at Anfield and say goodbye to the fans before the African Cup of Nations, because I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.
‘It’s not acceptable to me to be fair. If I was somewhere else, every club would protect its players. Now, it’s “Throw Mo under the bus because he is a problem in a team”. I don’t think I am a problem.’
Next week is crucial for Slot, as his Liverpool side, who have won only four of their last 15 games across all competitions, take on Inter Milan in the Champions League and Brighton.
Whether Salah will be involved in either game from the bench or in a starting spot will be a major topic for conversation when the matches swing around.
