SHOCK IN ISTANBUL: ARNE SLOT BENCHES SALAH AND ISAK AS LIVERPOOL CRISIS DEEPENS – QUESTIONS GROW OVER MANAGER’S STRATEGY
SHOCK IN ISTANBUL: ARNE SLOT BENCHES SALAH AND ISAK AS LIVERPOOL CRISIS DEEPENS – QUESTIONS GROW OVER MANAGER’S STRATEGY
When the Liverpool team sheet dropped ahead of their Champions League clash against Galatasaray in Istanbul, jaws collectively hit the floor. Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian King and undisputed talisman of Anfield for nearly a decade, was named on the bench. Alongside him, Alexander Isak — the club’s marquee summer signing meant to usher in a new era of firepower — also left out of the starting eleven.
Instead, Jeremie Frimpong, a wing-back by trade, was pushed into an attacking role, while Dominik Szoboszlai — purchased to be Liverpool’s creative heartbeat — was bizarrely deployed as a makeshift right-back. Arne Slot, barely months into his tenure, called it a decision based on “rotation” and “luxury.” To fans and pundits, it looked like the latest chapter in a season unraveling faster than anyone could have predicted.
⚽ A NIGHT OF SHOCK AND CONFUSION
The Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi was buzzing before kick-off, with Galatasaray fans turning Istanbul into a cauldron of intimidation. But inside the Liverpool camp, the bigger noise was the team sheet. Supporters who had traveled from Merseyside stood slack-jawed as Salah jogged out in his training bib, sitting on the bench next to Alexis Mac Allister and Conor Bradley.
For many, it felt like déjà vu. Just days earlier, Liverpool had slumped to a deflating defeat against Crystal Palace, a result that intensified questions over Slot’s tactical approach and squad management. With the Champions League seen as a lifeline in a turbulent season, fans expected their best XI. Instead, they got experimentation.
“I have no words. To bench Mo Salah in Istanbul? It’s madness,” one supporter told Sky Sports before kick-off. “You don’t leave your king on the bench in a must-win European tie.”
🔥 SLOT’S EXPLANATION – AND WHY IT FELL FLAT
Speaking to Amazon Prime before the match, Slot attempted to justify his decision.
“Jeremie is not playing as a right full-back, he is playing on the right wing,” he explained. “We have many games to play. In a few days there is another big game coming up. We have to utilise our squad. Players can come in as well. Many of our games, players have impacted the game coming off from the bench.”
He even referenced Salah’s hat-trick off the bench against Rangers years earlier — under then-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, now Slot’s assistant. “That is not the reason,” Slot insisted, smiling. But for many, the explanation rang hollow.
Rotation? Maybe. But in Istanbul, against one of Europe’s most hostile atmospheres, leaving out Salah looked like arrogance. For fans, it wasn’t about luxury — it was about survival.
📉 A SEASON SLIPPING AWAY
The decision cannot be viewed in isolation. Since Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2024, the transition has been rocky. Liverpool sit uncomfortably outside the Premier League’s top four, with dropped points against mid-table sides piling pressure.
The “new Liverpool” under Slot was meant to be bold, modern, attacking. Instead, it has been inconsistent, fragile, and plagued by bizarre tactical calls. His insistence on squad “rotation” has seen stars shuffled out of position, while new signings struggle to adapt.
Alexander Isak, signed from Newcastle in a blockbuster £90 million deal, was supposed to lead the line. Instead, he has been limited to “half an hour here, an hour there,” according to Slot, his rhythm constantly broken. Alexis Mac Allister, a World Cup winner, has seen his form dip alarmingly after a disrupted pre-season. Even Szoboszlai, the crown jewel of last summer, is now playing out of position.
“It’s chaos,” Jamie Carragher said bluntly on CBS Sports. “You don’t buy Alexander Isak and then bench him in your biggest Champions League game. You don’t shove your midfield creator into right-back. Liverpool look like a team without identity.”
💸 TRANSFER TROUBLES – WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?
For years, Liverpool prided themselves on smart recruitment under Michael Edwards and Klopp. Players like Salah, Mane, Robertson, and Van Dijk were transformative yet cost-effective. But under Slot and the new sporting structure, Liverpool’s transfer market has looked scattershot.
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Alexander Isak (£90m): A proven Premier League scorer at Newcastle, but has been misused and rotated endlessly. His confidence already looks fragile.
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Hugo Ekitike (£45m): A raw talent from PSG, brought in as a “wildcard,” but already sidelined with injury. Critics question why Liverpool gambled on another unproven forward.
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Milos Kerkez (£30m): Signed from Bournemouth, but looks overwhelmed by the demands of playing every three days.
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Federico Chiesa (£60m): A marquee name, but fitness issues have limited his impact, raising fears he may become another expensive injury-prone gamble.
In contrast, rivals like Arsenal and Manchester City strengthened with precision. Liverpool look bloated, confused, and unbalanced.
💔 THE GHOST OF KLOPP
The shadow of Jurgen Klopp looms over every match. The German’s departure in 2024 left a void bigger than anyone anticipated. His charisma, tactical clarity, and bond with the fans made Liverpool more than a football team — it was a movement.
Slot was never going to replicate Klopp, but he was expected to maintain standards. Instead, results have fueled the perception that Liverpool traded passion for pragmatism, identity for uncertainty.
“When Klopp was here, you felt Liverpool feared no one,” Gary Neville said on The Overlap. “Now? They look scared of themselves.”
The contrast was painfully clear in Istanbul. Klopp’s Liverpool had pulled off miracle nights in hostile arenas — Barcelona, Dortmund, even Istanbul itself. Slot’s Liverpool benched Salah and looked lost.
🌍 ISTANBUL NIGHTMARE – GALATASARAY TAKE ADVANTAGE
As the game unfolded, Slot’s gamble backfired. Without Salah’s spark or Isak’s presence, Liverpool lacked threat. Frimpong, energetic but raw, struggled to impact the game. Szoboszlai, wasted in defence, looked visibly frustrated.
Galatasaray, fueled by a deafening home crowd, pounced. Goals from Mauro Icardi and Kerem Aktürkoğlu sank Liverpool, handing the Reds back-to-back defeats that left their Champions League hopes in jeopardy.
Salah eventually entered in the second half, greeted by roars from both sets of fans. But it was too late. He looked isolated, chasing scraps in a system that seemed to betray his strengths.
📱 SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES
Online, the backlash was immediate and brutal.
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“You don’t bench MOHAMED SALAH in Istanbul. End of.”
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“Slot is making Liverpool a laughing stock.”
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“Klopp built an empire. Slot is dismantling it brick by brick.”
Memes flooded X (formerly Twitter), with pictures of Salah sitting on the bench captioned: “The King in exile.” Others mocked Isak’s “half an hour here, an hour there” line, comparing him to a part-time Uber driver.
Even rival fans joined in. Manchester United supporters gleefully shared clips of Slot’s post-match interview, dubbing him “Arne Flop.”
📰 MEDIA REACTIONS
The British press pulled no punches.
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The Guardian: “Liverpool gamble without Salah – and lose.”
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Daily Mail: “Slot’s Salah snub leaves Liverpool fans in disbelief.”
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The Athletic: “Behind Arne Slot’s rotation gamble: logic or lunacy?”
In Turkey, Galatasaray papers hailed it as “the night Salah watched Istanbul.”
⚠️ WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
The bigger concern is what comes next. With Chelsea and Arsenal looming in the league, and Champions League qualification hanging by a thread, Slot’s Liverpool are at a crossroads.
The questions are piling up:
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Can Isak ever find rhythm if Slot refuses to start him consistently?
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How long before Salah, now 33, grows disillusioned with being rotated?
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Will the expensive gambles on Chiesa, Ekitike, and Kerkez pay off, or become another tale of wasted millions?
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Most importantly: how much patience will Liverpool’s owners and fans have with Slot?
💥 THE VERDICT: A MAN ON BORROWED TIME?
Arne Slot insists his decisions are about “utilising the squad” and protecting players. But to many, it feels like tinkering for the sake of it. In a club defined by passion, identity, and belief under Klopp, Slot’s Liverpool look rudderless.
The decision to bench Salah and Isak in Istanbul may be remembered as the moment the tide truly turned. One gamble too far, one rotation too many, in one of the most unforgiving cities in European football.
Liverpool are not just losing games. They are losing faith.
And as Salah sat watching on from the sidelines, the image felt symbolic: the King exiled, the empire wobbling, the manager under siege.
Because in football, some decisions echo far beyond ninety minutes.