Roy Keane and Michael Owen Spar Over Mohamed Salah’s Outburst: ‘Sit Down and Listen!’
The clash began when Salah displayed his frustration on the pitch after being substituted by Jurgen Klopp during Liverpool’s face-off with Chelsea. The match ended in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, with Salah’s irritation visibly apparent as he left the field in the 77th minute, replaced by the promising 17-year-old, Ben Doak.
Salah’s reaction, marked by agitated gestures and tossing his wrist tape to the ground, didn’t go unnoticed by the Chelsea fans, who jeered him. Furthermore, Salah’s tense exchange with Klopp on the bench was the trigger for former Manchester United captain Roy Keane’s critical remarks.
Keane expressed his viewpoint on Sky Sports, stating, “I think it’s fine if a player comes off like that but don’t keep doing it on the bench. You see him off the pitch with his arms in the air – just sit down and shut up. You have to take it. You can be upset, fine, but don’t drag it out. I’ve seen a lot more players that are better than Salah get taken off and they’ve been fine.”
Nonetheless, Michael Owen, a former Liverpool striker, entered the fray to defend Salah. Owen expressed his understanding of Salah’s frustration and openly questioned Klopp’s decision to replace him.
“I was surprised, yeah,” Owen conceded to Premier League Productions. “I get his reaction as well. I was definitely surprised. I thought Mo Salah played quite well. It was his assist for the goal. An amazing assist. It was his curling right-footed shot that hit the bar. It was him who literally was inches offside and scored; it could have been oh, so different. He was looking sharp. He is an absolute legend of the club.”
Owen continued, “Consistently scores dozens and dozens of goals every season. And to bring him off, for a 17-year-old, yes, I was very surprised.”
Klopp, speaking post-game, attempted to defuse the situation by clarifying his rationale behind the substitution. “I can understand because if Mo scored it would have been a new record for goals scored in the opening game but I didn’t think about that,” he explained. “We needed stability and we needed fresh legs. It was super intense for everybody.”
Klopp further elaborated, “That’s all I can say about it, his reaction was absolutely okay. When I sub a player and he is jumping into my arms at 1-1 and he is a striker who thinks he will score, I would be really surprised so that’s absolutely fine.”
In the midst of this clash of perspectives, Salah’s frustration becomes a focal point, sparking a heated debate between former football titans Keane and Owen. The incident highlights the intricate balance between player reactions, managerial decisions, and the ever-passionate world of football fandom.