Thierry Henry reveals 'love' for Liverpool fans' reaction to Mo Salah's falling out with Arne Slot as Arsenal favourite explains how supporters helped 'squash it and move on'

Salah was restored to the Liverpool squad at the weekend against Brighton, emerging from the bench after Joe Gomez was forced off injured. Within minutes, the Egyptian winger made his presence felt, providing the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s goal in a 2-0 win that steadied the champions after a week of intense scrutiny. As Salah warmed up and later took part, the Kop responded with a standing ovation, a clear signal that whatever tensions existed behind the scenes, his bond with the supporters remained intact.

The backdrop to that reception was an extraordinary outburst following Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Leeds United. After being named among the substitutes for a third successive league game, Salah stopped in the mixed zone and delivered a seven-minute, unfiltered account of his frustrations. He spoke openly about feeling marginalised despite his contributions, suggesting that promises made in the summer had not been honoured.

 He said: "I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

"I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club. This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much, I will always do. I called my mum yesterday - you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew."

Henry said he understood Salah’s emotions instinctively. Having been a player himself, the Frenchman recognised the frustration that can build when a star performer feels sidelined. What puzzled him initially was not the sentiment but the timing and public nature of the comments.

Speaking with Betway, Henry said: "No, not surprised at all, and it’s not my decision. Whether he is going to play and stay at Liverpool is not on me, it’s on Arne Slot and his team. I only commented on how and when he did what he did. I understand the emotion and frustration, I used to be a player, so I understand Mo Salah. I just didn’t understand how and when he did it."

However, Henry was quick to praise how the situation evolved. He was not surprised to see Salah reintegrated so quickly, nor by the warmth of the Anfield response. For Henry, the fans’ reaction was the most telling aspect of the saga. 

"We’re talking about one of the greatest in the Premier League," he said. "I’m not surprised he came back into the team, and I was so happy with the reception of the Liverpool fans because they also understood him. To be fair, I didn’t have any doubt about that."

Henry highlighted what he described as a rare moment of collective wisdom from the stands. In midweek, Liverpool supporters had sung Slot’s name during the Champions League tie against Inter, backing their manager at a time when he faced criticism. Days later, they did the same for Salah, recognising his importance and showing that support does not have to be exclusive.

"It’s weird, because what’s happening at Liverpool this year, I was expecting last year," he said. "Not in terms of the turmoil, but in terms of the results. I thought maybe Arne Slot was going to struggle, but he showed us last year that he’s a great manager, and now he’s showing us the other part that you need to deal with when you’re a manager. You need to deal with people’s egos and the press, but when you are at Liverpool, that’s just how it is.

"I’ve always thought that he’s very honest in what he says after games. What I love about the situation is that in the Inter game, the Liverpool fans sang the name of Arne Slot, and at the weekend they sang the name of Mo Salah. They recognised that they had to support Slot against Inter, and Salah at the weekend. So they did what they had to do, let’s squash it and move on."

Jamie Carragher also weighed in on the debate, adopting a conciliatory tone after labelling the Egyptian as a "disgrace" in a monologue. While acknowledging the tension, the former Liverpool defender urged Salah to focus on the bigger picture rather than the immediate frustrations.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: "What we see there. It was nicer than we saw at Elland Road. But does Mo Salah deserve more than that? He deserves a guard of honour. He deserves a mosaic in the Kop. He deserves to be able to bring his family, his wife and his kids on the pitch, in his last game and actually celebrate what he's done as a Liverpool player. So put your differences with the manager aside and just think, three or four months at Liverpool. The worst thing that is going to happen is I get this big send off. The best thing that could happen is I am walking out with my team-mates in Budapest for the Champions League final. If he was sat in Saudi Arabia watching Liverpool do that. I think he'd really regret it."

Salah has headed off to Morocco to represent Egypt at AFCON, temporarily removing him from the centre of the Liverpool narrative. Yet questions about his long-term future refuse to disappear. Links to Saudi Arabia have lingered for more than a year, and while Salah has never fully dismissed the idea, he also committed to Liverpool with a two-year extension last season.