Laura Woods and Liverpool icons Steven Gerrard and Steve McManaman were left a little red-faced by Mohamed Salah on Wednesday night.
The Reds fell to a 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg loss to Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes.
8
Goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia either side of half-time handed the defending European champions a first leg advantage as they look to defend their crown.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot opted to start Salah on the bench in Paris as the Dutchman changed shape to counter the Parisian powerhouse, using Jeremie Frimpong at right wing-back and Florian Wirtz up front alongside Hugo Ekitike.
Even as Liverpool chased the game, Slot elected against calling upon the Egyptian, instead looking to Cody Gakpo and the returning Alexander Isak to help rescue the result.
This came after Salah was told to increase the intensity of his warm up in anticipation of coming on.
Salah had previously caused a stir when he claimed he’d been “thrown under the bus” by the club following the 3-3 draw with Leeds in December.
“I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season,” Salah said last year.
“Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.”
Following the defeat in Paris, the 33-year-old was asked by Woods, Gerrard and McManaman to speak on TNT Sports after going through a post-match warm down.
Salah, though, signalled to the TNT crew that he didn’t want to give an interview following the loss.
The Liverpool forward shook hands with Woods, Gerrard and McManaman before trudging off to the dressing room.
8
8
Some Liverpool fans are convinced that Salah “held himself back” by turning down the chance to left rip at Slot.
“Salah held himself back there. He really wanted to say his piece on TNT but he knows there’s no point now,” one fan posted on X.
Another added: “Salah clearly didn’t want to say what he thought of Slot to Gerrard and McManaman there.”
Conversely, Gerrard was impressed by how Salah conducted himself after the PSG clash, stating: “[He’ll be] frustrated. He’ll be sitting there thinking he’d back himself to influence this game and improve proceedings, certainly from an attacking point of view.
“He’ll be a little bit sad and frustrated. But credit to him because he’s just stayed behind there and done some extra running.
“In his mind he’s already got his mind on Fulham [on Saturday] and he’s doing extra work which shows the pro and the mentality that you’re dealing with.”
‘The right decision’
And while Liverpool failed to claim a result in Paris in midweek, talkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil felt Slot made the ‘right decision’ to leave the Egypt international out of his team.
When asked by Olivia Buzaglo on Breakfast on Thursday morning about Slot’s decision to drop Salah, Brazil said: “That was the right decision for me.”
Buzaglo then pressed Brazil on Slot deciding against bringing him on, to which he stated: “He’s been really out of form lately.
“From his particular standards, Mo’s making all the wrong decisions – on the ball, his crossing, final balls poor, half chances – he’s ballooned over the bar or scuffed them.
“He had to drop him.”
Having his say, Gabby Agbonlahor then remarked: “I think it says exactly what we all think about Mo Salah’s form.
8
“He’s probably thinking, the manager, ‘There’s no point in bringing him on. Is he sulking on the bench? Is he even going to affect the game if he comes on?’
“He’s probably thinking, ‘You know what, we can’t get that far up the pitch anyway, Mo Salah hasn’t got the legs anymore.’
“So I get not bringing him on.”
Sub-par Reds
Salah will leave Liverpool this summer as a free agent despite penning a two-year deal at Anfield last year.
The Reds star was instrumental in Liverpool’s title triumph last season – chipping in with 29 goals and 18 assists in 38 top-flight matches as Slot enjoyed a winning debut campaign on Merseyside.
However, Salah’s form has nosedived this term.
8
Indeed, he has scored just five goals and provided six assists in Liverpool’s doomed title defence.
Slot’s side sit 21 points off league leaders Arsenal ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Fulham.
And with Liverpool enduring a disappointing domestic and continental campaign, one fan believes they know the solution to fix the season.
Reds supporter Yasser called into The Sports Bar with Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy on Wednesday night and outlined that the Reds should copy Chelsea’s blueprint in order to rescue the season.
The Blues relieved Andre Villas-Boas of his duties back in March 2012 and replaced the Portuguese boss with Roberto Di Matteo, who at the time worked as Chelsea’s assistant manager.
The Italian went on to deliver FA Cup and Champions League success that same season.
8
The Blues famously beat Bayern Munich on penalties at the Allianz Arena to become the first London club to win the Champions League.
And Yasser believes that Liverpool should do similar and replace Slot with Gerrard.
Bring back Stevie G?
“I’ve been saying Arne Slot should have been let go a while back now,” he began. “I always think, again as we’ve seen with Man United and all the other clubs, once a new manager comes in, everyone is all positive.
“And this goes back to what Chelsea did in 2011/12. They got rid of Villas-Boas when they had a hammering against one of the clubs in the last-16, first leg (vs Napoli), in comes Roberto Di Matteo, and they went on to win the whole competition.
“So, I do think that there still is time, although they probably won’t do it, and I don’t know what Richard Hughes [Liverpool sporting director] and the other guys are thinking.”
Cundy then interjected to ask: “So what you’re saying – Sack Slot before the second leg?”
8
To which Yasser replied: “I think that’s the only bit of injection we can basically think of as a pick up.”
O’Hara then added: “And bring in who?”
The caller answered back: “You know what, honestly, I don’t know who you’re going to bring in long-term, but let’s talk short-term.
“If Roberto Di Matteo came in and did it for Chelsea, then let Steven Gerrard do it for two or three games, or a month or two, at least.
“Now that fifth spot guarantees Champions League anyway, and we are in fifth position right now, I just see it is a positive.
“All I can say is that I’d see this as a positive.”
8
O’Hara went on to agree with Yasser, stating: “Listen if they sacked Slot tomorrow, and they were like, ‘Right, Steven Gerrard. Look, we want you to take it.’
“He’d jump at the opportunity for one. And two, then you are talking about a Liverpool cauldron.
“‘Steven Gerrard’s Liverpool’. Two-nil down at Anfield. Under the lights.”
“It sounds ridiculous, but it’s not,” Cundy continued. “When you break it down like that, right now, Liverpool are going out of the Champions League.
“If this continues under Slot, they are missing out on Champions League football. That’s how it feels, and I’m guessing most Liverpool fans sense that feeling as well.
“If that’s how they feel their season is going to go, maybe cut your losses. Maybe draw a line in the sand and say: ‘I think we’ve seen enough’. Maybe pull the trigger and make a change.”
“At the moment, I don’t see any other way that Liverpool get through this game with the way that they’re playing,” O’Hara added.
“Bring back Stevie G.”
Gerrard hasn’t managed since leaving his role as Al-Ettifaq head coach in January 2025.
The former midfielder was linked with a Rangers return last October, having managed the Gers between 2018 and 2021, but opted against succeeding Russell Martin in Glasgow.
