'Mohamed Salah was right to question Liverpool standards - I think they need a cultural reset'

Salah

Former Liverpool winger Joe Cole believes Mohamed Salah was within his rights to call for standards to be upheld at Anfield once he leaves the club.

Salah is into the final month of his nine-season stay on Merseyside and is in line for an emotional departure on May 24 when he features in the last match of his Liverpool career at home to Brentford.

Speaking earlier this month in a series of interviews to coincide with his exit, Salah spoke about the club needing to maintain their standard-setters behind the scenes when he departs, telling Sky Sports:

Salah

"I just want to have that standard at the club because it is very, very important for people to keep winning things. This is one of the main concerns for me."

Salah's comments were interpreted as a criticism of the current culture in the dressing room, which was something head coach Arne Slot pushed back on in an interview with newspaper reporters before Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

Cole, who played 42 times for the Reds between 2012 and 2013, thinks Salah was correct to share his concerns following a campaign that has seen Slot's side lose 18 times across all competitions and believes a reset of the culture is needed this summer.

Cole

“Mo Salah is well within his rights to have an opinion on the team,"

"He’s been there for so long. Mo’s a good guy, I’m sure his comments were coming from a good place to help Liverpool.

“Sometimes when players say things it can come from frustration with the manager. Things aren’t going well for him on the pitch for the first time in a decade, he’s been that good a player.

“But I think he’s correct. It looks like there aren't the same personalities in the team as they once had [to set those standards] and that needs to be addressed in the summer."

Cole, who joined the Reds on a free transfer from Chelsea in 2010,

Cole added: “You need to look at this whole season in context of everything that has happened on and off the pitch.

"From the dreadful Diogo Jota situation, [Alexander] Isak’s saga in the summer and his injury, Hugo Ekitike’s injury and also Mo Salah’s dip in form.

“They need to start next season by drilling down on the culture and getting back to what Liverpool are as a club.”

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