It's not exactly a mutiny in the old-school sense, but there's definitely something happening behind closed doors inside the Anfield dressing room, with many starting to question whether Arnie Slot is dealing with a dressing room revolt.
There's definitely a visible fracture around Arne Slot's authority, with Mohamed Salah's exit and recent blow-up on X really pushing the narrative that something is going on behind the scenes.
The signs of player frustration are now public enough that the question is legitimate, so let's look at what might be happening.
Mo Salah has always been a shy guy on social media. He doesn't really post anything other than a few pictures, let alone what happened after Liverpool's 4-2 defeat away to Aston Villa. A sports betting platform in South Africa for example, would have put Salah to start and score, but he sat on the bench for most of the game.
Salah posted a strong public statement saying Liverpool were 'crumbling'.
The surprising tirade went on to say:
“It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that. Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it. Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games. Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on. As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen."
It was a rant, and without question, a lot of it was aimed at Slot. The explosive post came after Salah didn't start against Aston Villa and was only subbed on in the 74th minute to replace Cody Gakpo, a decision he clearly wasn't happy with.
Slot and Salah did clash earlier in the season and had appeared to patch things up, but the subtle daggers Salah sent the head coach's way in this viral post say otherwise.
The most explosive part was not just Salah criticising the results; it was that he appeared to challenge the footballing identity Slot had created.
The 'revolt' narrative grew because Salah's post was reportedly liked or supported by several current Liverpool players. Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson, Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni and Harvey Elliott all liked or commented on the post, which we can all assume means they agree with what Salah is saying.
Curtis Jones also wrote separately that the season was "way off the standards expected at this football club." And that's probably because, now that the season has finished, they've only just crept over the line to qualify for the 26/27 Champions League.
But we will say that it doesn't prove a coordinated rebellion. A social media like is not the same as a player demanding the manager be sacked, but it's not exactly looking good either.
Slot tried to defuse the issue. Reuters reported that he said he and Salah both wanted "what's best for Liverpool," but refused to confirm whether Salah would play in the final match against Brentford. He also insisted the criticism had not disrupted training. This Is Anfield also reported Slot saying he had seen “nothing different” in training despite the reaction to Salah's post.
And of course, Salah did start against Brentford and was awarded Player of the Match on his final appearance for Liverpool, ending an iconic career that saw him play 328 games, score 193 goals, and 94 assists.
It was an iconic career, so it's a shame to see him go out the way he has, with clearly built-up anger.
This Is Anfield also reported Slot saying he had seen “nothing different” in training despite the reaction to Salah's post.
Is Slot contending with a dressing room revolt? We wouldn't go as far as to say that, but we do think the change of tactical playing style from Klopp's attack-focused style just isn't something the players are happy with. It's what Liverpool are known for, and to change that is a move that clearly isn't working.