Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has come to the defence of Mohamed Salah after Thierry Henry criticised the Liverpool forward’s recent comments about his situation at Anfield.
Salah has been benched for three consecutive Premier League matches as Liverpool struggle for form under Arne Slot. The Egyptian said he was “very disappointed” with how the club had treated him in recent weeks, insisting he felt “thrown under the bus” after being left out of the starting lineup.
“I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes. That’s the third time. It’s the first time in my career, I think,” Salah said in quotes revealed by ESPN.
“Very disappointed, done so much for this club over the years, especially last season. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That’s how I feel it.
“Someone wants me to get all the blame. [The] club promised me a lot in the summer. Now I’m on bench, so can say they haven’t kept those promises.
Mo Salah. Photo Credit: Getty Images
“I used to have a good relationship [with Slot]. Now we don’t have any relationship, and I don’t know why. [It] seems like someone does not want me in the club.”
Jamie Carragher reacted strongly, accusing Salah of publicly undermining Liverpool. Henry, speaking on CBS Sports Golazo, also criticised the timing and method of Salah’s comments.
“We’re talking about a moment in time that I think he got wrong. You do not talk about your personal situation in public when your team is struggling,” Henry said.
“You do it in the dressing room. I’ve done it. I went to the dressing room and smashed everything. I went to the boss’s office to complain about stuff.
“When I was at Barcelona, I travelled with the team, and I was put in the stands. I didn’t talk about it, because I have to protect the team at all costs, all the time.
“I can understand the frustration. I don’t understand the how and the when. That was wrong.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Oliseh, who played with Henry at Juventus, disagreed sharply with his former teammate’s stance. In a post on X, he defended Salah’s status in Liverpool’s recent history and called for more empathy.
“I like ‘tete’, we played at Juventus together, but I think he is getting this one wrong!
“When will some people learn that it is not always about them?! Salah has been the ‘Main man’ at Liverpool for almost a decade, like Messi at Barcelona.”
Oliseh continued: “Henry was not brought to Barcelona to lead the team, but rather to help Messi, Eto’o, and Iniesta lead the team!
“The way Salah is loved and adored in Egypt, Henry was and is miles away loved that way in France.
“With all due respect! Salah has a right to be unhappy at his situation more than Henry had at Barcelona, ‘but Salah should not have gone public!!
“Abeg leave our African brotha alone.”
Technical Study Group member Sunday Oliseh speaks during the Technical Study Group Media Briefing at MMC on December 12, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Slot refused to be drawn into the debate after Liverpool’s 1–0 win over Inter Milan, urging the media to focus on the team’s performance.
“The focus should be on that [the team’s win against Inter] tonight. I can fully understand if I go into the press conference on Friday and all the questions are on Mo, but I think these players deserve for it to be about them tonight.”
“Clarence [Seedorf] said that in his opinion [Mo and I should speak], and I said that is his opinion, and I didn’t say anything about who should make the first step or whatever.
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“It was his opinion, and I am happy I can clarify that so the headline tomorrow is not what I have said. It was [Seedorf’s] opinion. Where I stand on that is that tonight it should be all about the players that are here.”
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Liverpool next face Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield, with attention now firmly on whether Salah will return to Slot’s starting lineup.
