It takes a brave and assured manager to substitute Mohamed Salah, especially as early as Arne Slot did in Liverpool’s 1-0 win over RB Leipzig. The definition of “aura” has been lost in modern football. Now, it is a term used when a player wears his collar up or when, after a run of more than two clean sheets, Arsenal fans try to will it into existence.
There are, of course, still players with a genuine aura, and that is certainly the case when it comes to the current Liverpool squad. Slot has learned that in his experience of working with Virgil van Dijk, saying in an interview with Viaplay that: “Before I worked with Virgil, I always said I no longer believe so much in the concept of a leader. But Virgil, I think, is someone who constantly makes sure the boys are there and is the leader in coaching.”
Like Van Dijk, Salah is a player who genuinely intimidates his opponents – for example, take Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who once recalled a running battle that left him feeling “finished.” The image of Salah scoring a goal, his celebration marked by a defiant smile, is etched in the memories of every opponent he has faced.
As head coach, Slot has shown no signs of struggle in dealing with the pressure of working with such a talented and demanding player. His ability to handle the situation was on full display on Wednesday as he substituted Salah, who responded as expected, with the No. 11 clearly frustrated at being replaced so early into a Champions League tie.
Salah simply doesn’t want to be subbed. There was no clash with his head coach, though, with handshakes shared with replacement Luis Diaz, Slot and his assistants Fabian Otte and Sipke Hulshoff; there was no smile as he exited the pitch, but that is simply the player Salah is.
Contrast that to six months earlier, when Salah was seen furiously berating Jürgen Klopp on the touchline as he waited to come on with 11 minutes to play in a 2-2 draw at West Ham. Held back by Darwin Nunez of all players, the winger made his feelings clear on the situation, given so little time to influence a result which left Liverpool’s title challenge over.
Managing a player with the world-best talent and relentless ambition of Mohamed Salah clearly takes an energy that Klopp held over many years but found in increasingly short supply. Slot, on the other hand, has arrived at Anfield with an all-encompassing motivation. The players have embraced this, immediately buying into the Dutchman’s ethos and the detail behind Liverpool’s early success under his management.
As he fielded questions on substituting the player who had clocked more minutes for his Liverpool prior to kickoff, Slot showed a matter-of-fact calmness. It simply wasn’t a concern. Perhaps that can be defined as aura in itself; Klopp had it and his successor seems to have it too.
For a head coach with a lack of elite-level experience, following in the footsteps of one of the most legendary managers at one of the biggest clubs in the world, that aura could be tricky to deal with. But as he takes to life at Liverpool with smooth precision and clinical execution, Slot has shown no signs of such an issue. His only concern appears to be the well-being of his players, making sure they are prepared to face the challenges ahead.
Whether what was almost certainly a pre-planned change was explained to him before the game, it seemed to acknowledge that Slot knows what he is doing. He has a way of handling the pressure of managing a talented player like Salah, one that shows he is fully in control of the situation.
In an ideal world, a coach would want his captain to be his leader on the pitch, but Slot has seemingly adapted to the situation, relying on his own aura to guide the team towards success. Whatever it is, it seems to be working. With 11 wins from 12 games, the signs are positive for Liverpool under their new manager. The presence of a leader like Van Dijk can only bode well for the Redmen’s chances, as they look to build on this promising start under Slot.
