Mohamed Salah says Liverpool need to rediscover 'heavy metal attacking' identity opponents fear in bombshell statement
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah: "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."
Saturday 16 May 2026 17:15, UK
Mohamed Salah insists "crumbling" Liverpool need to rediscover their identity, calling for a return of the "heavy metal attacking team" that made them feared under Jurgen Klopp.
It was another difficult night for Liverpool under Arne Slot as they lost 4-2 at Villa Park, leaving their Champions League hopes still in the balance. Slot's side succumbed to a 12th league defeat of the season, meaning Slot's side have not won a Premier League away game against a team in the top nine all term.
- Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool - report & highlights
- Got Sky? Watch Premier League games LIVE on your phone📱
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺
In what some will see as a thinly veiled attack on under-fire head coach Slot, Salah - who will play the final game of his Liverpool career next weekend - said the defeat at Villa on Friday night was "very painful" and the Reds must return to "being a team that wins trophies".
Liverpool won the Premier League last season after Slot succeeded Klopp, who was known for playing so-called "heavy metal football".
Salah's damning verdict on 'painful' season
In a scathing assessment of Liverpool's form this season, Salah said in a statement on social media: "I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions.
"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."
Salah said after December's 3-3 draw at Leeds that he had been "thrown under the bus" and had no relationship with Slot.
The 33-year-old Egyptian striker has scored over 250 goals for Liverpool and established himself as one of the club's greatest ever players since joining from Roma in 2017.
Liverpool announced in March that Salah - who has won two Premier League titles along with a Champions League crown, FA Cup and two Carabao Cup trophies, while he is the club's third all-time top goalscorer - would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season on a free transfer.
Salah had signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April 2025.
Slot insists Liverpool will be a better force next season
Meanwhile, under-pressure Liverpool boss Slot has promised next season will be better.
Liverpool's trophyless season comes to an end at home to Brentford on May 24. Depending on results for Bournemouth and Brighton over the next few days, Liverpool might need a positive result to secure a top-five finish to qualify for the Champions League.
The Dutchman accepted supporters might not find reason to be optimistic after a difficult camptaign, but he is expecting better from his side neaxt season.
"I can understand at this moment of time that they don't have a lot of confidence or a lot of feeling that things can be much better next season," Slot said.
"But I think then they are underestimating what a window can do, what a new start can do, and I think we know quite well what to improve.
"I think one of the things we have to improve is also very, very, very obvious, and I would have preferred not to talk about it here, but you're actually almost forcing me to.
"If you miss nine players that can start a game of football, and almost all of them are starters for us or have been for large part of the season, then if you add that to what you can improve in a window and add that to players that are playing for the second season in the Premier League, that will automatically lead to much more.
"I don't think the differences are so big, only doing in a few situations the right thing can already have a best massive upwards possibility."
Carra: Liverpool have too many weak players
Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool have far too many "weak" players in their team after they were "taken to the cleaners" by Aston Villa in their 4-2 loss on Friday Night Football.
Their defensive frailties continued against Unai Emery's side and Liverpool have now let in 52 goals in the league this season - the most they have ever conceded in a 38-game season.
"This has been happening from the first day of the season on a Friday night against Bournemouth," said Carragher on Sky Sports co-commentary duty.
"Liverpool have far too many weak players - physically and mentally - and it has to be fixed. It looks like Arne Slot is going to be the man who has to fix it next season.
"But this result does nothing in terms of the feelings of the supporters around his position right now.
"Liverpool don't excel at anything. They look like a really average team. They have been taken to the cleaners."
