Jurgen Klopp predicted Mo Salah problems as Arne Slot shuts down Liverpool claim

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Jurgen Klopp predicted that Mohamed Salah would be difficult to manage when not given a starting berth at Liverpool . The Egyptian has been vocal about his disdain for the Reds' poor defence of the Premier League title, with Arne Slot hitting back at claims that the club's standards have diminished.

Klopp worked with Salah at Anfield for seven seasons, winning the league title and a Champions League trophy alongside a host of domestic cups. The pair formed a close bond working together, which meant the German boss learned just how to handle the winger's attitude.

Slot has had some issues with Salah this season , with the 33-year-old claiming he was "thrown under the bus" by the club for their poor run of form. As a result, he lost his starting berth as a Red and was eventually brought back into the fold by the manager after discussions.

Klopp's previous comments on Salah came to fruition as he admitted coaching the winger isn't as simple as he made it look. Speaking in the BBC One documentary titled ' Mo Salah - Never Give Up', the former Liverpool manager said: "We are all massively influenced by our past - how we were raised, where we grew up.

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"Mo knew early on [in his life] that he had to do more than others. He always developed. He never stops. That is his mindset. After each summer break he came back and had a new skill. It was like he had spent the whole time just practising one particular type of pass.

"We pushed each other, just to make sure that we would never stop. And we never did stop. That moment lifting the Premier League bonded us for life. He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.

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"I wouldn't say he is easy to manage, but he is also not difficult to manage. You [only] have problems with Mo Salah if he is not playing or you take him off."

Salah's public attitude towards his drop down the pecking order showcased just how seriously he was about being a big part of the Liverpool squad. The Egyptian made some subtle digs after the Reds' 3-2 loss to Manchester United last weekend, admitting that "there is a lot of work to be done behind the scenes."

Slot responded to Salah's words as he insisted standards were still high at the club. He said: "Does Virgil mean the same as what Mo is saying? And what Mo is saying is that standards are really important for a football club.

"I cannot agree more with him! I did not hear him say that the standards are not okay now. Did you? I’m not worried about it, let's put it that way. I’m not worried that the standards will be lower next season than they were this season, or the season before or the season before. No. I’m not worried about it. At all."

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Slot added: "I wish I was able to say what I feel at this moment but I can’t. So, how will I answer that question then? As I said, I completely agree with him (Salah) how important these standards are. I think they are in a good place at the moment.

"I think it also makes sense that younger players – it doesn’t have to be the new players, it can be the seven-year-old that comes from the academy – they usually get the example of players like Mo and others for them to understand and to know what it takes to play every three days at this level.

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