Liverpool Boss Praises Robertson’s Maturity Amid Unbeaten Run and Top-Four Pressure
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has extended an olive branch to Mohamed Salah, expressing his delight at the forward’s imminent return from the Africa Cup of Nations despite a public falling-out just weeks ago.
The reunion comes after a fiery moment in December when Salah, left on the bench for three consecutive matches, accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” and declared his relationship with Slot had broken down. The 33-year-old, who will play in Egypt’s third-place match on Saturday, hasn’t started for the Reds since November.
“First off, he has to play another big game for Egypt on Saturday,” Slot told reporters ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Burnley. “I’m happy he’s coming back. If I had 15 attackers, I would still be happy to have him back.”
Slot’s welcoming tone coincides with a period of solid, if unspectacular, form. The team is on an 11-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, though five Premier League draws in that run have left the reigning champions fourth in the table, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal.
“Ideally, it’s not 11 games unbeaten, it’s 11 wins in a row. That is what we aim for,” Slot admitted, acknowledging the gap between resilience and dominance. “From where we were when we conceded four goals against PSV to now – a much better place, but there’s still enough room for improvement.”
The Dutch coach also addressed the growing pressure to secure Champions League qualification after leading the table earlier in the season. “We haven’t put ourselves in the most ideal position, especially when you compare to where we were after six games,” he said.
In a separate show of man-management, Slot publicly praised veteran defender Andy Robertson for his mature response to losing his starting place to Milos Kerkez. The 31-year-old Scot, whose future at Anfield is uncertain, has recently affirmed his desire to stay at the club.
“I have to give Andy a big compliment about what he said. It was very mature,” Slot stated. “I’m really happy he also feels he finds joy in the position he’s in and understands how important he has been to this club for all these years, and still is.”
The message from Liverpool’s camp is one of reconciliation and realism: mending fences with a star player, managing the expectations of a squad legend, and grinding out results to close the gap on the top four.
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