Manajer Liverpool Arne Slot menolak memberikan kepastian terkait keterlibatan Mohamed Salah dalam pertandingan pamungkas musim ini melawan Brentford di Anfield pada Minggu, 24 Mei 2026.
Langkah ini diambil setelah penyerang asal Mesir tersebut melontarkan kritik terbuka di media sosial yang dinilai menyerang gaya kepelatihan Slot dan menuntut kembalinya taktik agresif bentukan Jurgen Klopp.
Pertandingan penutup ini menjadi krusial karena Liverpool, yang kini tertahan di peringkat kelima klasemen Premier League, membutuhkan setidaknya satu poin demi menyegel tiket kualifikasi Liga Champions musim depan.
"I never say anything about team selection," kata Slot saat ditanya mengenai peluang tampilnya Salah, seperti dilansir dari BBC.
Hubungan antara keduanya dilaporkan meregang sepanjang musim ini, bahkan Salah sempat dicoret dari skuad saat laga tandang kontra Inter Milan di Liga Champions setelah menyatakan komunikasinya dengan Slot telah terputus.
"I don't think it is that important what I feel about it. What is important is that we qualify for the Champions League on Sunday and I prepare Mo and the whole team in the best possible way for the game," ujar Slot menambahkan.
Kekalahan dari Aston Villa pada pertandingan sebelumnya membuat sang manajer kecewa karena kehilangan momentum untuk mengamankan posisi empat besar lebih awal.
"I was very disappointed after our loss against Villa because a win would have given us qualification for the Champions League which we didn't get. Now there's one game to go which is a vital one for us as a club," tutur Slot.
Meskipun terjadi ketegangan akibat perbedaan pandangan taktik, manajer asal Belanda itu menegaskan bahwa ia dan Salah tetap memiliki komitmen profesional yang sama untuk kesuksesan tim.
"We both want what's best for the club, we both want the club to be successful, and that's the main aim," kata Slot.
Slot mengakui bahwa performa armada The Reds sepanjang musim ini belum sepenuhnya memuaskan sehingga evaluasi menyeluruh dan perubahan gaya main akan dilakukan menjelang musim baru.
"I have to find a way to evolve this team now and definitely in the summer and in the upcoming season to be successful again, and to play a brand of football that I like. And if I like it then the fans will like it as well because I haven't liked a lot of the way we played this season," jelas Slot.
Manajer Liverpool tersebut juga berharap skema permainan baru yang dirancangnya kelak bisa dinikmati oleh semua pihak, termasuk Salah jika sang pemain memutuskan bertahan atau pindah ke klub lain.
"But we try to evolve the team in a way that we can compete but definitely also play the brand of football, the style of football the fans, I, and hopefully Mo if he's somewhere else at that moment in time, will like as well," ucap Slot.
Ketika disosialisasikan mengenai kekhawatiran bahwa kritik Salah dapat meruntuhkan otoritasnya di ruang ganti, Slot menanggapinya dengan defensif dan menilai media terlalu banyak berasumsi.
"You are doing a lot of assumptions. First of all you say that he wants to play that style and then say it is not my style," cetus Slot.
Slot mengingatkan kembali bahwa performa tim di bawah arahannya pada musim sebelumnya berhasil membuahkan gelar juara liga yang disambut baik oleh seluruh pemain.
"I think Mo was really happy with the style we played last year as it led to us winning the league. Football has changed, football has evolved, but we both want what is best for Liverpool and that is for us to compete for trophies, which we haven't done this season and which we did last season," papar Slot.
Keberhasilan mengakhiri puasa gelar liga selama lima tahun pada musim lalu disebut Slot sebagai kerja keras kolektif yang melibatkan dirinya, para pemain, dan Salah.
"He and the team – and I was included in that – brought the league title back after five years and we would like to challenge for that again next season and continue to evolve the team. That is my take on it," tegas Slot.
Terkait tindakan beberapa pemain Liverpool yang menyukai dan mengomentari unggahan kritik Salah di media sosial, Slot mengaku tidak terlalu ambil pusing karena tidak aktif di platform digital.
"Social media came when I was a little bit older, so as people know I'm not really involved. I don't really know what it exactly means if you 'like' a post," ujar Slot.
Slot menegaskan situasi internal tim tetap kondusif dan fokus para pemain sepenuhnya tertuju pada sesi latihan menjelang laga penentu.
"What I know, and that is my world, is to see how they train and I have not seen anything different compared to the rest of the season," pungkas Slot.
Kritik dari Salah dipicu oleh rasa frustrasinya melihat penurunan performa Liverpool yang merosot ke peringkat kelima setelah sempat menggelontorkan dana besar pada bursa transfer musim panas 2025.
"I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that," tulis Salah dalam pernyataan resminya di media sosial yang dilansir Goal.
Pemain berusia 33 tahun itu, yang dipastikan berstatus bebas transfer musim panas ini setelah masa baktinya selama sembilan tahun berakhir, menyuarakan kesedihannya atas rangkaian hasil buruk tim.
"Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies," tambah Salah.
Menanggapi perselisihan ini, mantan penyerang Liverpool Michael Owen memberikan pandangannya kepada Goal terkait dampak dari pernyataan tajam yang dilontarkan oleh sang bintang.
"Both. Understandable? Yes. Do I agree with them? Yeah. But would I say it? No," kata Owen saat dimintai penilaian mengenai kepantasan komentar Salah.
Owen menilai esensi dari kritik Salah sebenarnya tidak keliru, namun momentum dan cara penyampaiannya dinilai kurang bijaksana bagi keharmonisan klub.
"That's the whole point. I don't think it was a wise thing for him to say, even though he's probably right. But listen, of course Liverpool fans want to see better footballers. Of course they want to see better results. And yeah, of course they don't want to be a team that win one and lose one," tutur Owen.
Menurut Owen, jarangnya Salah berbicara kepada media membuat setiap pernyataan yang keluar dari mulutnya memiliki dampak politis yang sangat besar di lingkungan klub.
"There was nothing that he said that was wrong, it was just that he said it. That was the thing," ucap Owen.
Dampak dari ucapan figur penting seperti Salah dinilai bisa memicu kegaduhan publik yang tidak diperlukan di saat tim sedang berjuang menghadapi laga krusial.
"I think the problem with Mo Salah is obviously he rarely speaks. But when he does speak, he's dropping hand grenades. If he spoke all the time, then it might not come as a massive shock. But whatever he's going to say, it's huge, huge news. And obviously if it's always disparaging, let's say towards the club or towards a manager or whatever, then it just goes nuclear in many ways," kata Owen menambahkan.
Mantan striker Inggris tersebut menyimpulkan bahwa tindakan destruktif semacam ini tidak akan membawa dampak positif bagi siapa pun di dalam organisasi tim.
"So yeah, I agree with everything he said, but I don't agree with him saying it because what help is it doing to anybody? It's just not," tutup Owen.
Kini fokus penuh dialihkan ke laga kontra Brentford di Anfield, di mana kemenangan menjadi target mutlak bagi anak asuh Arne Slot guna mengamankan tiket kompetisi tertinggi antarklub Eropa tersebut.
