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Why Is Mohamed Salah Training Alone? The Photo Dividing Liverpool FC

Arne Slot, Liverpool, Mohamed Salah

A simple image often reflects the simplest yet the deepest of ideas. An image can speak volumes and depths more than any words or videos could ever express. One such image has been making the rounds on the internet and has caused a sensation amongst Anfield’s most loyal supporters.

Mohamed Salah, the beloved striker of Liverpool, had announced he would be leaving Liverpool F.C earlier this year, which had fans in an expected shock. Seeing the loyal, lethal striker leave the club, Anfield fans did not let him down and made him a promise that he will never walk alone and that they will always stand with him no matter what. 

Recent incidents have once again led the Reds to back their favourite player, all for the right reasons. 

Mo Salah posted a pic of himself in the gym alone. This image may seem simple at first but it’s the context that sets the tone for the image and why it is a benchmark for the upcoming leaders who will lead the team to its glory.

After their recent 3-2 loss to Manchester United on Sunday, the Kopites and the team both went into shock; however, it was not surprising considering recent revelations about the team.

The timing of the image made the reaction even stronger. Liverpool are currently enduring one of their worst seasons in over a decade under Arne Slot. They have already suffered 18 defeats across all competitions, crashed out of multiple trophy races, and are now scrambling just to secure Champions League qualification after spending large parts of the season looking completely disconnected. 

The main player fans kept bringing up during the Salah “standards” debate was Alexis Mac Allister.

He was reportedly spotted in Rome during Liverpool’s short break after the Manchester United defeat, which triggered a wave of criticism online because of the club’s poor form and the timing of the trip. Fans on Reddit and X used it as an example while discussing whether Liverpool’s dressing-room culture had become too relaxed under Arne Slot.

There were also broader accusations from supporters that several Liverpool players had been taking frequent “city trips” or holidays during difficult stretches of the season, though specific names beyond Mac Allister were often speculative and not consistently verified. Virgil van Dijk directly responded to those criticisms, saying: “It’s not a holiday whatsoever.”

Van Dijk defended the squad by explaining that players only had a brief day off and were spending time with family, arguing the criticism had been amplified because results were poor.

Talks of indiscipline amongst the team have led to questioning the attitude and discipline of the team, more importantly, who will step up and lead the team after their Egyptian captain departs for good.

In an interview broadcast before Sunday’s trip to Manchester United, he questioned who would step up to take the mantle of leadership and discipline after he leaves the place empty. 

“I want the guys to succeed here, I want the club to be there. And this is one of my main concerns. I spoke to a member of staff, I spoke also to guys up there, I told them when I leave, you need an example here” said Salah.


In an excerpt from the article of James Pearce for The Athletic, he reported the following : 

“When Liverpool strengthen their squad this summer, they would be wise to heed Mohamed Salah’s warning. They need to buy personalities as well as game-changers to help rebuild that dressing-room culture.”


Some fans viewed the photo as something very symbolic: Liverpool’s greatest modern player sets an example for the team while they are nowhere to be seen taking the play on the field seriously. Fans also did not fail to point out that the lack of discipline could also have taken over due to the recent mentality monsters Jordan Henderson and James Milner leaving the club, after which the discipline seemed to have been tossed out the window, while players like Salah, being the only ones to carry forward its flame and not let it extinguish. 


However, the reaction was not completely one-sided. Various supporters defended the squad and criticised the overreaction of the fans towards the photo, stating that Injured players often train separately while the regular fit players have a different training schedule. Others argued that a simple rehab gym photo was being turned into a point of criticism of the team due to the picture coming from Salah himself. Yet, even they admitted the optics were difficult to ignore after their tough match against Man Utd, especially given the turbulent season of Liverpool.

Another major talking point was Salah’s future itself. With the Egyptian now approaching the final weeks of his Liverpool career, many fans expressed sadness that one of the club’s greatest ever players could be leaving during such a chaotic period. The image of him alone in the gym felt almost poetic to some supporters online: a legend trying to preserve elite standards while the team around him struggles for identity. 


Football fans often exaggerate single moments, especially online. But this particular image resonated because it touched on fears Liverpool supporters already had. The outrage was never really about a gym session. It was about what fans believe the empty gym represented. 

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