Liverpool legend gives DAMNING Salah verdict after Klopp clash

Liverpool’s season descended into acrimony on Saturday as manager Jurgen Klopp and - arguably - the greatest player of the Klopp era, Mohamed Salah, were involved in an unsavoury touchline spat.

Klopp was about to bring on a trio of late substitutes in the shape of Salah, Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez with the Reds needing to rescue the game against West Ham, which ultimately finished 2-2, further damaging the Anfield side's dwindling Premier League title hopes. 

There appeared to be some words exchanged between the 56-year-old German and the Egyptian striker, with the pair separated by Darwin before Salah took to the field. 

Klopp attempted to defuse the situation afterwards, telling TNT that "we spoke already in the dressing room and for me, it's done." 

Salah took an entirely different approach. He had just eight words for the press as he passed through the mixed zone afterwards: “If I speak today there will be fire.”

It has been widely assumed that Salah, 31, had been unhappy to start the game at the London Stadium on the bench, following a string of indifferent performances and a quick turnaround after the Merseyside Derby defeat on Wednesday. 

Salah has not looked his usual self

The forward hasn’t looked himself since returning from a hamstring injury he first sustained during the Africa Cup of Nations in January. 

Question marks over his form allied with a contract which expires in 2025 has led to speculation over whether Salah will leave the club this summer.

Al-Ittihad could again attempt to make Salah the face of the Saudi Pro League with a £100m+ fee, with Liverpool’s new power brokers having a key decision to make over his future.

'Salah's not done anything since injury'

One Liverpool legend believes Salah has NOTHING to complain about after being benched following his sequence of poor performances.

Steve Nicol, a former Liverpool captain who won the European Cup in 1984, says the former African footballer of the year ‘hasn’t produced’ and is ‘FAR OFF’ his usual level of performance.

“It's not a good look,” Nicol told ESPN. “But let's be honest, Salah really can't have too much of a problem at not starting because since he's come back from his injury he hasn't done anything to say to Klopp that you need to start me, I need to be in this XI, I need to start these games because he hasn't produced.

“And at the end of the day when you have other options and somebody is so far off what they normally are, then Salah can't in all honesty have a go at Klopp for not playing him from the start.”

However, Nicol was also adamant that no further deal should be made of the topic with Klopp seeking to move on quickly and round out the season.

Difference of opinion says Nicol

“It's too easy to look into it and look at the situation right now that Liverpool are in and try and pin a label on it as far as some sort of problem with the relationship,” he said.

“Things happen in the heat of the battle when the game's going on. It's nothing new. Until it's anything else I guess we should just put it down to a difference of opinion.”