Salah criticism questioned in strong Melissa Reddy post

Mo Salah continues to dominate the Liverpool agenda before what could be an emotional final appearance at Anfield against Brentford.

The Egyptian’s social media statement after our 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa split opinion, with some viewing it as an honest message from a departing legend and others seeing it as another public shot at Arne Slot.

Melissa Reddy defends Salah after backlash

Wayne Rooney has been among those to criticise our No.11, accusing the forward of being “selfish” and even suggesting Slot should leave him out of the squad for the Brentford game.

That felt extreme, even with emotions running high, because Salah has earned the right to be heard after everything he’s given us since arriving from Roma in 2017.

Writing on X, Melissa Reddy strongly defended the 33-year-old and questioned the reaction to his comments.

She posted: “Mohamed Salah is lambasted for not speaking enough, then when he does, is slammed for not doing it at the time and in the manner his critics demand.

“He is not a performing monkey. He has given absolutely everything he could to the game – and for just shy of a decade, to Liverpool.

“Why is his love for the club always questioned? Why can’t he speak as a fan of Liverpool, which he is? Salah FC or Misperception FC? ”

Liverpool debate shows how divided opinion has become

It’s hard to argue with the broader point that Salah’s relationship with Liverpool is more complicated than a simple player-versus-manager row.

The Egyptian king has scored 257 goals and provided 119 assists in 441 appearances for the Reds, winning every major club honour available and becoming one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen.

That doesn’t mean every word of his statement was perfectly timed, especially when Champions League qualification still isn’t mathematically secure.

But there’s also a danger in acting as though a departing icon can’t speak honestly about what he believes Liverpool should be.

Salah’s final week should have been a clean celebration, yet it has become another argument in a season full of them.