“It’s a shame it’s going to end like that” - Alan Shearer defends Liverpool star Salah after row with Jurgen Klopp
Premier League icon Alan Shearer has leapt to the defence of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah following his bust-up with Jurgen Klopp on Saturday (April 27). The pundit said that the Reds boss may have said something that provoked the Egyptian superstar.
Liverpool made the headlines for the wrong reasons following their 2-2 draw with West Ham United in the Premier League. First, that result meant that they dropped two points which all but ended their title hopes. Second was the clash between Klopp and Salah.
The pair was seen having a heated verbal exchange while the Egyptian was gearing up to come on as a substitute in the second half. That has generated a lot of buzz, and the player's post-match comment where he said that there would be fire if he talked hasn't helped matters.
On Match of the Day, Alan Shearer defended the Reds superstar by suggesting that Klopp may have riled him up.
"We don’t know what Klopp has said to him there. He’s said something that has riled him," said Shearer. "He’s obviously got the right hump with being left out and probably rightly so. Even though he hasn’t hit the heights that Mo Salah has done over the years, he’s been unbelievable.
"He ignores Jurgen, gives the Liverpool fans a little round of applause and goes straight down the tunnel, but we’re guessing as to what Jurgen said to him."
"I understand if Mo has got the right hump because the number of times he’s been Liverpool’s saviour and Liverpool’s superstar. … He’s got 17 in 25 league starts. Anyone else you’d look at that and think that was unbelievable. It’s a shame it’s going to end like that," he added.
Liverpool are five points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League title race. They trail second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand, by four points with three games to go.
What's next for Liverpool and Mohamed Salah?
With the Premier League title now looking like a distant dream, the Merseysiders will look to round up their campaign on a high. They will be in action next weekend against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday (May 5).
They then lock horns with Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last two league games of the season. It's unclear whether Salah will take part in these games following his row with Klopp.
The Reds have just one victory in their last five Premier League games, losing twice. This is certainly not the type of send-off they would have planned to give their legendary manager, who's leaving at the end of the season.