Jamie Carragher warns Arne Slot he is powerless in Mohamed Salah row ahead of Liverpool star’s final game

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot faces an unenviable dilemma this weekend, with former defender Jamie Carragher suggesting he “can’t win” when it comes to handling Mohamed Salah’s final appearance for the club.

Carragher believes Slot does not have the authority to dismiss the Egypt international, despite recent tensions.

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Salah’s recent social media post, posted on Saturday, was widely interpreted as thinly veiled criticism of Slot. The striker’s message, which heavily referenced terminology associated with former manager Jürgen Klopp, was appreciated by several teammates.

The upcoming game against Brentford on Sunday is expected to be Salah’s final game for Liverpool at Anfield before his summer departure.

The Premier League match carries significant weight, potentially determining the club’s Champions League qualification for next season, if Bournemouth stay in contention and secure a result against Manchester City.

Carragher acknowledged that the outcome of this crucial match had to come first. However, he suggested that if qualification was already assured, Slot might have more reason to make a statement regarding the long-serving striker.

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Such a move, however, risks further alienating fans who remain largely supportive of Salah, having apparently been disappointed by Slot’s tactics and the team’s recent performances.

“I don’t think a manager should ever cut off his nose to get angry, he should always do what’s going to give the team the best chance of getting a result – if he needs a result,” Carragher said on The Overlap’s. Stick to football podcast.

He continued: “If he doesn’t need a result and Liverpool are already qualified it could be something different, but in Arne Slot’s current position with the supporters it’s very difficult not to give Mo Salah some sort of big farewell.

“In a way, you almost can’t win. If he had a bit more power… But if it was me and I was Arne Slot, I think I would play a bit smarter if I got the result (Bournemouth) and if I was in the Champions League.”

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In his social media post, Salah expressed a desire for Liverpool to become a “heavy metal attack team” again – a direct nod to Klopp’s philosophy. He wrote: “This is the identity that must be reclaimed and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone who joins this club must adapt to it.”

This is not the first instance of public friction between Salah and Slot this season. After a December match at Leeds, where Salah was on the bench despite being out of form, he gave an extraordinary post-match interview, claiming he had been “thrown under the bus” and no longer had a relationship with the Dutchman.

While the two men reconciled following Salah’s return from the Africa Cup of Nations, the announcement in March of the end of his two-year contract suggested underlying issues persisted behind the scenes.