Former Liverpool star suggests truth behind Salah's 'bust ups' with Arne Slot

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson believes Mohamed Salah must have had multiple disagreements with Arne Slot for the Egyptian to speak out following his omission from the starting XI

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson believes Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah must have endured "many bust-ups" for the Egyptian to launch such a scathing public attack. The 33-year-old remained on the substitutes' bench during the Reds' 3-3 stalemate with Leeds United, marking his third consecutive match watching from the sidelines.

The Dutch manager has sidelined the forward throughout Liverpool's woeful spell, which included crushing losses to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven. Despite being frozen out on Saturday, Salah delivered a devastating interview that sent shockwaves through the Premier League champions.

The explosive comments have heaped additional pressure on Slot, coming from one of his key stars amid the team's current woes that have yielded just two Premier League victories since September. They have also placed huge doubts over Salah's future on Merseyside.

Salah participated in first-team training on Monday before their crucial Champions League clash with Inter Milan. Nevertheless, he was omitted from the travelling party for the San Siro encounter.

"We'll find out if they win [if it's the right decision]," Johnson remarked, speaking exclusively to the ECHO via BetWright Betting UK, regarding the choice to keep Salah on Merseyside, reports the Liverpool Echo. "But it's one of those. I totally get it because it's a respect thing as well, just because he's kind and honest and open, it doesn't make him weak. Some people maybe take his kindness for weakness.

"I think he has to do it, but also it doesn't really take it out of the limelight because still now everyone's talking about it even more. But then I think for him going forward, I think it's the right decision because it sets a good message to his team-mates, or other players. People can't say to him in the future, 'Oh well, you know, you're weak in that moment, you should have done this, blah, blah, blah.'".

"If it was not Mo Salah and a different or maybe a lesser key name, then it's easier to drop them. So I think it's a big strong message and right now I do think it's the right decision."

Salah propelled Liverpool to Premier League glory last season as he spearheaded the Reds' charge to dethrone Manchester City at the summit of English football. In the process, the 33 year old found the net 29 times whilst leading the assists table.

Yet this unfolded against the uncertainty surrounding his contract situation, with the Egyptian facing the prospect of departing Anfield as a free agent when the campaign ended. Nevertheless, he penned new terms, though speaking on Saturday, he expressed that pledges had been broken. The Egyptian disclosed that his rapport with boss Slot had deteriorated.

Johnson suggested that for the Liverpool legend to speak so openly about his future, his current predicament at Anfield and the Reds manager, there must have been a series of disputes behind the scenes. He added: "Well, the lack of football probably comes from the breakdown with a manager, very rarely do you see players suffer in silence and then have an outburst in public because you can have a row in training, you can go and bang on the manager's door every day. Which players do.

"So if you're having a bust-up, that's cool, that happens, but you still gotta do your job. We've all played for managers that we don't even like.

"You play for managers that you love, but you still gotta do your job. You're not there to be best friends. So I think they would have had many, if this is the last resort, they must have had many bust-ups behind the scenes that we didn't know about because like I say, going to the public in this manner is never the first option."