Salah dropped not ‘rotated’ as Arne Slot gets Liverpool perception wrong for Frankfurt
Will Ford Mohamed Salah with Arne Slot and the Liverpool badge.
Arne Slot was concerned about what might be written and said with regard to him “rotating” his team for their clash with Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, but there won’t be many thinking Mohamed Salah’s absence from the starting lineup is a case of resting the Egyptian’s 33-year-old legs after his display against Manchester United.
“‘Rotate’ always comes across as if, ‘Oh, let someone else play a little bit as well’,” Slot said.
“But I said many times, we have a lot of good players and I can use them all. If you play three games in seven days, it would maybe be smart to use them all as well. That’s why, also because we were 1-0 down, but also because we need to use the squad, we made three substitutions after 55 minutes against United.
READ MORE: Arne Slot next? Ranking the five post-title managerial sackings from fair to harsh as f***
“We will use a lot of players again tomorrow, as we will on Saturday. It is then a certain rotation but ‘rotation’ could also come across as ‘We are good enough to play a few others.’ No, no, no – we have more than 11 players that can start a game of football for us and that’s why we’ve done that until now multiple times.
“And we might do this tomorrow as well.”
Slot made five changes in total to the side which lost to United, with Jeremie Frimpong, Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones and Florian Wirtz all coming into the team, but Hugo Ekitike for Salah is undoubtedly the standout call.
This is the first time since he joined the club in 2017 that Salah hasn’t been named in Liverpool’s starting XI for two consecutive Champions League games.
It’s a decision made far more significant given this is a game in which Slot is desperate to stop the rot after four consecutive defeats – Liverpool haven’t lost five on the bounce since 1953 – including the loss to Galatasaray last time out in the Champions League.
READ MORE: Liverpool beat Bayern to the wrong £113m star amid Wirtz, Salah conflict and fresh transfer approach
Salah would surely be starting what’s not quite a must-win game, but a game they would?really?love to win to avert their self-diagnosed crisis, if he was in any sort of form.
There have been suggestions, for the first time in his Liverpool career, that the Egyptian doesn’t deserve a spot in the team, hurting Liverpool by not defending while failing to nullify that weakness through his goals and assists.
Jones has come in for Mac Allister, which comes as no surprise after the Argentinian’s similar slump this term, Milos Kerkez has been taken out of the firing line having been given pelters for much of his Reds career so far, while Frimpong earned a start having arguably been Liverpool’s biggest threat off the bench against United.
As Slot was all too eager to point out, this isn’t a “rotated” team, it’s the one he feels is best equipped to beat Frankfurt. Make no mistake, Salah has been dropped.
F365 Says Mohamed Salah
Related Articles
Jason Soutar
Salah, Suarez, Henry: Top ten individual seasons in Premier League history
Here are the ten best individual seasons in Premier League history, with 2024/25 Mohamed Salah crashing into the top five.
Topical Top Ten Cristiano Ronaldo Joe Williams
Reliable journalist confirms ‘preferred’ Salah successor as Liverpool ‘fight’ Newcastle for striker
Liverpool are lining up a move for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande as one of their ‘top three preferred successors’ to Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool Mohamed Salah Joe Williams
Romano reveals possibility of Liverpool star Salah joining Messi at Inter Miami
Fabrizio Romano insists that Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has “no agreement with anyone” after claims he could link up with Lionel Messi.
Liverpool Lionel Messi Lewis Oldham
Liverpool: Salah transfer ‘agreement’ due ‘immediately’ after ‘frontrunner’ to sign Reds star revealed
According to reports, Mohamed Salah is expected to ‘agree’ on his next move ‘immediately’ after the ‘frontrunner’ to sign him was revealed.
Liverpool Mohamed Salah Will Ford
Klopp says Liverpool teammate could match ‘ridiculous’ Salah numbers as Carragher nonsense debunked
Jurgen Klopp says one of Mohamed Salah’s teammates can “maybe” surpass the Egyptian’s “ridiculous” goalscoring record at Liverpool.
Liverpool Jurgen Klopp James Holland
Neville tips Mo Salah exit to accelerate Arne Slot sack as worrying Liverpool theory revealed
Gary Neville is seriously concerned for Arne Slot’s job, particularly with Mo Salah now leaving Liverpool
Liverpool Arne Slot
Latest Football News
Tottenham player-manager one of seven interim ‘options’ to replace Igor Tudor
Ben Davies Harry Redknapp
Tottenham next manager timeframe revealed after Tudor exit as ‘Spurs man’ backed
Igor Tudor
Tottenham confirm Igor Tudor exit and tease ‘new Head Coach’
Igor Tudor Roberto De Zerbi
‘Not Harvard English’ – Toni Kroos confused by Geordie accent as brother Felix hails Newcastle ‘summer’
Toni Kroos
Hungary manager hits out at Arne Slot ‘nonsense’ after telling Liverpool boss ‘not to interfere’
Arne Slot Mailbox
Man Utd ‘in purgatory’ under Carrick as Klopp ‘logic’ dispels top replacement doubts
Michael Carrick
Carrick in or out? Man Utd would be stupid to rush manager decision
Michael Carrick Popular
Rashford, Foden, Gordon to Liverpool proposed as Salah debate rages on
Mohamed Salah Popular
Mo Salah is no Luis Suarez; the Liverpool fan verdict is in
Mohamed Salah Popular Premier League Table Full Table
#
TEAM
P
W
D
L
GD
PTS
View More
Mediawatch
Arsenal star ‘called out’ as Spurs handed ‘huge boost’ and World Cup ‘nightmare’ emerges
Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal face summer ‘transfer conundrum’ as Mo Salah ‘dream club’ revealed
Mohamed Salah Popular
Salah exit prompts ‘genuine concern’ about Premier League as two Liverpool mysteries solved
Mo Salah Popular
Arsenal season starting to unravel as ‘injury crisis’ hits at ‘worst possible time’
Copyright Notice: The content of this article is contributed by Internet users. The views only represent the author. This site only provides information storage services and does not own ownership or bear relevant legal responsibilities. If you find any suspected infringement or illegal content, please contact us. We will delete it immediately after verification.