Manchester United legend compares Salah to Cristiano Ronaldo

Gary Neville has drawn a comparison between Mohamed Salah’s recent explosive comments about Liverpool and Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United in 2022.

Salah, aged 33, became the center of attention last weekend after delivering a “bombshell” interview following Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds, amid the striker continuing to be sidelined and sitting on the bench for the second time in three recent matches. The Egyptian star claimed he was being “made a scapegoat” by the club and stated he “no longer has any relationship” with coach Arne Slot.

Three years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo made a similar move during his second stint at Man United when he gave an interview with Piers Morgan openly stating he no longer respected manager Erik ten Hag, while criticizing the club’s leadership and recruitment, particularly the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim coach. That interview led to Ronaldo’s departure from Old Trafford in January 2023 to join Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he still plays today.

Salah’s comments last week caused a similar reaction, although the initial tension between him and coach Slot seems to have eased somewhat, as the striker remains on Liverpool’s squad list for the upcoming match against Brighton. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Gary Neville said that with the caliber of top players like Salah and Ronaldo,such statements are more understandable than if they came from an “ordinary” player.

“I see the problem from both sides,” Neville said. “If it were an average player, I wouldn’t see it that way. When you have a player at the world-class level, and I include Salah in that group, sometimes you can’t fully accept everything they do, but Cristiano Ronaldo did the same at Man United.”.

“I don’t like it at all because I believe players of that level have a responsibility to lift the whole team. Such behavior isn’t uncommon among players at this level. They often have a different perspective,”Neville added.

“I wouldn’t like it if it happened at my club [Man United], and a few years ago I didn’t like it when Cristiano did it; he gave a major interview,” Neville commented.“I think it was wrong. The timing was wrong and the way it was expressed was wrong, so I understand why Liverpool fans felt upset. But I think Salah should have been brought on. I said that while commentating on the match.”

According to sources, not all issues between Salah and Liverpool have been fully resolved. Both sides are expected to continue negotiations as the Egyptian striker heads off with the national team to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).