Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders blasts Mohamed Salah for Anfield exit

Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders has blasted Mohamed Salah for the way he's departed the club.

Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, but launched a thinly veiled attack on the now-departed Arne Slot, criticising his style of play.

Speaking exclusively to bet365 at the talkSPORT Padel World Cup, Saunders said: “Don’t get me wrong, I’m Salah’s biggest fan, but he tried to get the manager sacked three times.

“First when he said the club had thrown him under the bus, then he decides to leave on a free halfway through his contract when the club could have got £100,000,000, then on his way out of his door, he comes out with that quote.”

Asked if there was any way Slot could have survived as head coach after Salah’s remarks, Saunders said: “No. Salah knows all the fans are on his side, and I actually agree with what he said, but you can’t say it in public.

“Tell the directors, tell the manager, but you don’t go on social media and criticise the style of play. You don’t criticise the club in public about anything.”

Slot’s long-speculated departure from the club was confirmed on Saturday, with Andoni Iraola stepping into the dugout after a successful three years at Bournemouth.

It is thought the Basque tactician will bring a more intense style of play back to Anfield, but Saunders believes much work is needed in the transfer market first.

“I think they need a right-back, two centre-halves, I’m not sure about Milos Kerkez, they might need a ball-playing midfielder, they need a left- and right-winger and they need Alexander Isak to stay fit,” he said. “There’s quite a bit of surgery there considering they spend half a billion last summer which shows how wrong it’s gone.”

Iraola earned plaudits from all corners for his work with Bournemouth, but Saunders says the 43-year-old will quickly have to adapt to the pressures of working for a top club.

“I played for teams in the Premier League where you were allowed to have a bad run,” said Saunders. “You were allowed to lose at home. At Liverpool, you’re not, so he’s going to manage a team that takes the game to the opposition every time.”