TA: Salah is like Ronaldo in '22; Such disputes will lead to lose-lose

Over the just-passed weekend, Salah publicly vented his dissatisfaction with head coach Slot, directly triggering a crisis within the team. The Athletic focused on analyzing the core issues: In Salah's outburst this time, who is right and who is wrong? Is his move similar to Cristiano Ronaldo's situation back then?

Previously, Slot had already benched this legendary Red Devils star for three consecutive games, which was regarded by the outside world as a signal of the team's reconstruction. The Athletic pointed out that although Salah's statement was reasonable, his public venting of dissatisfaction sparked controversy. His situation was quite similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United back then. This conflict between the coach and the star has added to the difficulties of an already struggling Liverpool, and ultimately there may be no winner, because the outcome of a complete breakdown between the coach and the star is destined to be a lose-lose situation.

In the past two months, although Liverpool has been deeply mired in a slump in results, the team has at least maintained the bottom line of "not airing dirty laundry in public". Despite the palpable sense of crisis triggered by the decline in performance, compared with the common gossip leaks, mutual accusations, and power struggles that often occur when top-tier clubs experience a sharp drop in results, no such negative turmoil has ever emerged within Liverpool. 

However, Salah's passionate remarks in the mixed interview area after the game at Elland Road Stadium on Saturday completely shattered this situation.

The 33-year-old star angrily accused the club of "abandoning me", and said that there was no longer any face left between himself and head coach Slot. This statement directly escalated the team's on-field crisis to a situation close to "in-team civil war". 

Some believe that Slot's decision to exclude a star of Salah's caliber from the starting lineup for three consecutive games - including having him sit on the bench for the entire game during the team's 2-0 victory over West Ham United and being on standby as a substitute in Saturday's 3-3 draw against Leeds United - was asking for trouble. This is by no means a normal rotation or targeted lineup arrangement; it seems more like a resolute statement: the team is drifting further away from this club legend who has scored 250 goals for the Reds.

There is no denying that Salah's form has indeed declined this season, but he is not the only one in the team struggling. Whether it's the defense, midfield, or forward line, there are players performing worse than him who still remain in the starting lineup regardless of their form fluctuations. This does not mean that Salah's poor performance should be tolerated, but when a meritorious player who has almost been ever-present in the past (sometimes even overworked) has few opportunities to play despite the team's congested schedule, when playing time should be reasonably distributed, he naturally has reason to question. 

But Salah's actions on Saturday were truly inappropriate.

He went against his usual self, actively seeking out reporters in the post-game mixed interview area and making his dissatisfaction public. 

This action not only exposes his astonishing lack of self-awareness but also betrays the trust and respect placed in him by his teammates, head coach, and the club.

To be fair, some of Salah's demands are indeed reasonable, but from the perspective of team public relations, this statement does more harm than good. 

But his statement, "I don't have to fight for my position every day because I earned it with my strength," is simply a classic example of what young people today call "self-destructive remarks." This statement has provided the strongest argument for those who oppose him, far more persuasive than any statement made by anyone, including Slot, in recent weeks. Originally, Slot's decision to drop him was controversial, but now with Salah's outburst, even if the head coach wants to reinstate him as a starter in tomorrow's crucial Champions League away game against Inter Milan, it has become a difficult situation to handle. 

Those who know Salah well would never question his professional attitude and hunger for victory, yet these remarks reveal a sense of entitlement.

He seems to think that he deserves special treatment based on his past achievements. But he seems to have forgotten that he is already 33 years old, with both his form and confidence on the decline, and is in a team whose performance has plummeted and whose head coach is urgently seeking a winning formula to turn things around. Such a thought is simply unrealistic. 

This scene inevitably reminds people of Cristiano Ronaldo's final days at Manchester United in 2022 - at that time, Ronaldo was also gradually marginalized by the team, in a dismal situation. Of course, there are also differences between the two: back then, Ronaldo actively requested a transfer, and after being benched by then-manager Ten Hag, he became dissatisfied, which led to the incident. 

But the indignation exuded by the two players was identical - as meritorious stars of the team, they were neither willing nor able to accept the fact that their status within the team had already declined.

Whether it's Salah or Ronaldo, this near-obsessive focus and unwavering self-confidence are the key traits that enable them to become top-level football stars. 

But as their contributions on the pitch dwindle, these traits become increasingly unacceptable. Both are regarded as highly professional players who have dedicated all their energy to football, but past signs clearly indicate that neither of them can accept being left out of the starting lineup with equanimity. 

In fact, this hidden danger was already planted as early as the summer of Salah's 33rd birthday, when Liverpool renewed his contract for two years. 

Few could have predicted that his form would decline so severely this season, let alone that the team's performance would plummet. But one thing is certain: when the team embarks on the transformation path into the post-Salah era, this upheaval is destined to be a painful and difficult period for all involved. 

Salah hinted that his sudden loss of the starting position was because "someone didn't want me to stay in the team". 

This statement once again reminds people of Cristiano Ronaldo back then. Ronaldo's controversy ultimately ended with his transfer to the Saudi League in January of the following year - just five weeks after negotiating a contract termination with Manchester United, he signed a lucrative contract. 

It remains difficult to predict how Salah's farce will end, especially considering that he will leave the team next week to join the Egyptian national team for the Africa Cup of Nations. 

In this regard, Slot may be glad to be able to temporarily get rid of this hot potato and no longer have to deal with the discontented Salah. 

But neither Slot nor other members of Liverpool's management would ever want to see the team, which has already suffered heavy blows this season - and it bears repeating that they are also deeply grieving the unexpected passing of Diogo Jota, a talented star beloved by fans - now reduced to a soap opera that has become the hot topic of outside discussion due to the conflict between the head coach and the star player. 

Stop arguing about who is the winner and who is the loser in this turmoil.

When the head coach and the star player completely fall out, the outcome is destined to be a lose-lose situation.