Mohamed Salah’s latest public outburst will undoubtedly increase the pressure on Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.

Salah’s frustrations with Slot and the club were first revealed after a 3-3 draw with Leeds United in December, where he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” following his demotion after a poor start to the season. This time, Salah took to social media after Friday's 4-2 loss to Aston Villa, criticizing the team’s performance under Slot and the failures this season.

Slot has been losing credibility since winning the league in his first season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp. Salah called for a return to Klopp’s trademark "heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear." He added that the identity needed to be recovered and kept for good.

The contrast was stark: Unai Emery’s vibrant Aston Villa confirmed their place in the Champions League for the next season and are in the Europa League final, while Liverpool appeared porous and weak. Salah’s attack on Slot and his team’s performance does not help Slot, who has lost the faith of many fans as the Anfield atmosphere becomes increasingly toxic. His analysis of "us crumbling to yet another defeat this season" also reflects poorly on his team-mates.

The subplot is that many Liverpool supporters had seen Xabi Alonso as Slot’s natural successor. However, Alonso has now confirmed a move to Chelsea. Alonso had been touted as a future Reds boss, having won the Champions League as a player and impressed at Bayer Leverkusen. Some hoped he would replace Klopp two years ago, but he chose to stay with Leverkusen.

Salah’s intentions are unclear, but his statement plays to the growing anti-Slot lobby, making life uncomfortable for the Dutch head coach. Many Liverpool team-mates, including Andrew Robertson, Wataru Endo, Milos Kerkez, and Ryan Gravenberch, liked the post. Former stars like Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Jarell Quansah also showed support. This may simply indicate agreement with Salah’s complaints about falling standards rather than outright rebellion, but it is unhelpful for Slot.