Liverpool news: John Arne Riise would be 'genuinely surprised' if Arne Slot makes this Mo Salah decision

Mohamed Salah added further pressure on Arne Slot as manager of Liverpool with a recent post on social media calling for a return to the club’s previous style of football.

The Reds have endured a tough campaign, as they have yet to confirm their place in the Champions League with no silverware.

Slot delivered the Premier League title last season, with the Egyptian being key to that success; however, the relationship between the pair does not seem particularly warm, as Salah has spoken out in objection to the decisions of his manager on several occasions this campaign.

Anfield is set to bid farewell to the 33-year-old this weekend when Liverpool face Brentford; he has recovered from a hamstring injury and is in contention to start.

Yet, Wayne Rooney said that Slot should not give Salah the fairytale send-off and drop him from the squad for his final match, and now a 2005 Champions League winner agrees with this sentiment.

John Arne Riise would be surprised if Mohamed Salah starts against Brentford

Salah has scored 257 goals in his 441 appearances, lifting two Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup and a Club World Cup in his Liverpool career.

However, Slot might avoid relying on the Egyptian forward to ensure the Reds qualify for the Champions League next season, with a draw guaranteeing them a route into the competition.

It may be a risky decision by the Dutchman to leave out a four-time Premier League golden boot winner for such an important fixture, yet John Arne Riise believes Salah should not start this match.

In an exclusive conversation with Sports Mole, thanks to BetVictor, Riise said: “I’ve met Mo Salah a few times, and I’ve always seen him as a lovely person — smiley, friendly, respectful and someone who looks after people.

“That’s why I can’t really understand these comments. It almost feels like a different person writing them. If it’s a PR team advising him to do these things and make his name bigger than the club, then that’s wrong because Liverpool Football Club will always be bigger than any player. Always.

"To be honest, I agree with Rooney on that point. I don’t understand why Arne Slot would allow a player to publicly criticise the team and then still give him a big send-off in the final game.

“Why would the manager reward that behaviour after the things that have been said? I would genuinely be surprised if Mohamed Salah starts the final game.”

Mohamed Salah’s timing on his comments was poor

Salah’s decision to release his statement with Liverpool’s season hanging in the balance has been seen as a strange decision; at least that is the view of Riise.

The former Norwegian international believes that if the Egyptian truly felt it was necessary to make these comments, then he should have waited until the end of the campaign, particularly with the forward leaving the club after the Brentford fixture.

Riise said: “It annoys me that Mohamed Salah couldn’t at least wait until the season was finished before saying those things.

“Everyone knows he’s leaving, so why not just keep those opinions to yourself until the end? Or why say them at all?

“I’ve read what Wayne Rooney said and what Jamie Carragher said, and honestly, I understand why people are reacting the way they are.”

Despite Salah's and the fans' grievances with Slot, the Liverpool manager is expected to stay on for the 2026-27 season.