Mohamed Salah’s explosive statement yesterday sent shockwaves across Merseyside as the Egyptian King publicly urged a change of identity at Anfield, despite the very real risk of being dropped for his final game in a Liverpool shirt.
Following the Reds’ damaging 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa on Friday night, Salah posted a pointed message on social media, widely interpreted as a dig at manager Arne Slot.
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In it, he demanded Liverpool return to being the “heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear” , a clear reference to the Jurgen Klopp era – and called for the club’s attacking identity to be “recovered and kept for good.”
Liverpool players past and present show support for Mohamed Salah statement
The most telling fallout from Salah’s post may not be the words themselves, but who has rallied behind them.
A remarkable 17 past and present Liverpool players have reportedly liked Salah’s Instagram post, raising further questions over dressing room morale under Slot.
Current Liverpool stars Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong were among those to publicly show support.
Several former Liverpool players also reacted to the post, including Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adrián, Luis Díaz and former vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The responses from Curtis Jones and Hugo Ekitike, who replied with clapping and handshake emojis respectively, have only intensified speculation that Salah’s frustrations may be shared by sections of the current squad.
Past and present Liverpool players who have liked Mo Salah's post on Instagram so far ?:
?? Dominik Szoboszlai
?? Florian Wirtz
?? Ibrahima Konate
?? Andy Robertson
?? Hugo Ekitike
?? Trent Alexander-Arnold
?? Jeremie Frimpong
?? Roberto Firmino
?? Cody Gakpo
?? Alex… pic.twitter.com/86ZRId5H6A— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) May 17, 2026
With Liverpool currently sitting fifth in the Premier League and fighting to secure Champions League qualification on the final day, the public backing has raised fresh concerns over whether Slot still retains the confidence of the dressing room.
Steven Gerrard reacts to Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool message
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard also weighed in on Salah’s statement and suggested the post could be a sign of deeper problems behind the scenes at Anfield.
Speaking on TNT Sports, Gerrard said:
“Wow. Listen, that is extremely interesting. Mo Salah doesn’t really speak much, and he doesn’t tweet, and he certainly doesn’t tweet like that.
“So, I think he’s sending a message to the outside that things in that Liverpool dressing room are not right. The identity’s gone, and it’s really hurting him to see it in front of his own eyes.”
“I think he’s sending a message to the outside that things in that dressing room aren’t right” ?
Steven Gerrard on Mo Salah’s latest tweet, seemingly calling out the standards at Liverpool right now ? pic.twitter.com/NeWPUPqqcR
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 16, 2026
Gerrard’s comments are likely to add even more scrutiny to Slot’s position as Liverpool head into a crucial summer following a turbulent campaign.
With several teammates rallying behind Salah, Slot’s time at the club could be coming to an end.
all that I can comment is that LFC in current playing form is NOT the club we know…
therefore…. something has to change QUICKLY… be it the leader or the right fitting into all positions…
LFC has good players and can become far better, what they require is a manager to steer them back to the top. THEY CAN DO IT…
In My Opinion, Slot is NOT An Elite Manager. Paying Close Attention To Things He Says In Interviews Backs My Position. Firstly, He Admitted To Not Changing Much During His First Season, Thus The League Tile Which Was Won By Fluke Was Actually Due To Work Previous Done By Klopp. Secondly, His Philosophy And Game Plan (As He Told Us In His Words Just Before The Man City Game At Anfield) Is To Wait And See What The Opponents Will Do. In Other Words, He Cannot Formulate A Game Plan. This Might Be The Why Slot’s Liverpool Always Start Games Very Slowly, Continue To Be Lethargic With ZERO Intensity And Playing As Though Games Mean Nothing. We Were Also Told (Rightly Or NOT) That Slot Wanted To Play In The Same Style As PSG Which Was The Reason For Those Player Bought In Summer. At No Point During A Title Defense Season Has Liverpool Come Close To Replicating PSG’s Style, Passion, Intensity, Creativity, Game Control, Winning Mentality, Etc. For Comparison, The Team Slot Built Was Beaten 4 – 0 On Aggregate Whereas The Team He Inherited From Klopp Was Beaten On Penalties By PSG. In Fact, Stats Show That Slot Has Turned Liverpool Into LazypoolI because Of The Amount Of Ground They Cover During Games. Make No Mistake, The Liverpool Team/Squad Is NOT Missing Any Past Players. What Is Missing Is A Half Decent Manager With An IQ For Game Winning Tactics. This Shambles Reminds Me Of José Mourinho’s (Buy The Best Players Then Set Up To Win Games 1 – 0), Except That Slot Is Clueless About Defending. I Say All This As A Liverpool Supporter Of Over 40 Years And I Have Seen Every Game Over Those Years.