Slot’s Difficult Bench: Liverpool’s Salah Dilemma and the Silent War Over the XI

Slot on benching Salah

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says benching Mohamed Salah would be uncomfortable but he would do it again if he believes it serves the club’s best interests. He stresses that decisions are about the team, not personal feelings, even if it hurts to leave out a player who has carried the side for years.

Salah’s return and the broader benching debate

Salah started for the first time since November in a 3-0 Champions League win over Marseille after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, signaling that his place remains contingent on form and the manager’s plan.

Earlier, Salah revealed after facing Leeds that his relationship with Slot had cooled and that the club had thrown him under the bus.

Previously, Salah was left out of the squad for the trip to Inter Milan as a disciplinary measure, before coming on as a substitute against Brighton and then reclaiming a starting role this week.

Slot admitted it is very hard to drop a player who has won the Player of the Year award and scored around 250 goals for Liverpool. He said he feels uncomfortable whenever he drops a player, especially someone who has given so much to this club, and stressed that decisions must be made for the team’s benefit, even if they are not popular.

He also noted that Salah, who would be expected to feature in the Bournemouth match on Saturday, might not be thrilled if left out again, but emphasized that every player must accept decisions as part of competing in front of 60,000 supporters. The principle applies to everyone, not just Salah, and trust in the process is essential for peak performance.

Policing rotation, Slot added, means players must believe in themselves and accept that they are good enough to play, regardless of personal desires. He did not single Salah out; the message applies to all, reflecting the realities of squad management in a big club.

In closing, Slot framed rotation as a necessary tool rather than a personal vendetta. If you’re hoping for drama, you’ll get strategic chess rather than star theatrics. Punchline: Slot’s bench is so crowded you could shoot a documentary there. Punchline 2: If football were a sniper’s notebook, rotation would be the page where the hero always keeps a backup plan handy.