Mo Salah warned ‘you’re not Messi’ after Van Dijk’s message

The 33-year-old remained on the bench for the second time in three Premier League fixtures on Saturday.

He watched as Ao Tanaka’s dramatic 96th-minute goal secured a 3-3 draw for Leeds at Elland Road. Despite his frustration, Salah has not been completely sidelined at Anfield.

Here’s the latest on Liverpool as embattled manager Arne Slot and his squad work to regain stability.

A third consecutive absence from the starting XI at Leeds seemed to push the forward to his limit.

Shortly after Liverpool dropped more points, he launched a scathing critique of the club and manager, leaving fans stunned, according to the Mirror.

“I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why,” declared Salah following Saturday’s draw. “It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.

“That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they kept the promise.

“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me that someone doesn’t want me at the club.”

These remarks drew a sharp response from former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore, who replied on X after Salah’s public statement. The former forward showed little leniency, reminding Salah of the club’s values.

“Mo Salah. A very long read,” penned the 54-year-old, who netted 35 goals in 81 appearances for Liverpool. “I think I know a little about LFC, its supporters and how they view their club. Shaped of course by [Bill] Shankly then [Bob] Paisley, Kenny [Dalglish], Jurgen [Klopp] and now Slot.

“One thing remains constant, perhaps more than any other English club, it’s always the club first and last, players and managers add their DNA to the club, but the club trumps the individual.”

Collymore recognized Salah as part of the club’s “pantheon of greats” and showed some empathy for his situation.

However, he also stressed that Slot deserves respect after securing the title in his first season, warning Salah not to overreach.

He continued: “Only in the madness of 2025 modern football would the cult of personalities not only question a reasonable conclusion of ‘you’re not playing well, here’s a spell on the bench’.

“But Mo maybe has almost tricked himself onto elevating himself to the untouchable status of Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, players who could, if they chose, literally do and say as they pleased in the last decade. Mo isn’t them, and Liverpool as I said, isn’t that club either.”

Collymore also hinted at a potential way back for Salah, though Liverpool’s current ninth-place league position makes the situation more complex.

The Reds will need full dedication from their top stars to salvage the season, and Salah’s unrest only adds to the challenges.

Salah’s outburst came shortly after fellow veteran Van Dijk highlighted how much the club “needs” Salah to succeed. Yet even teammates may be unsettled by his recent comments.

“We need him and he will still be important like he has been,” declared the Dutchman before the journey to Elland Road.

“He is still a fantastic player. We still have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that. I need him around as one of the leaders. I’m not worried.

“He’s disappointed but that’s absolutely normal as if you’re not disappointed when you’re not playing two games in a row then there is an issue as well. But it’s onto the next now.”

That “onto the next” mentality has become a recurring theme at Liverpool during their current slump. The team has recorded just four wins in their last 15 matches across all competitions, raising concerns about missing out on Champions League qualification.

Like Salah, Van Dijk signed a new two-year deal at the end of last season to extend his stay at Anfield.

In retrospect, the club may be reconsidering the decision to hand out lucrative new contracts to two players who have arguably underperformed this season.