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Mohamed Salah insists "crumbling" Liverpool need to rediscover their identity, calling for a return of the "heavy metal attacking team" that made them feared under Jurgen Klopp.

It was another difficult night for Liverpool under Arne Slot as they lost 4-2 at Villa Park, leaving their Champions League hopes still in the balance. Slot's side succumbed to a 12th league defeat of the season, meaning Slot's side have not won a Premier League away game against a team in the top nine all term.

In what some will see as a thinly veiled attack on under-fire head coach Slot, Salah - who will play the final game of his Liverpool career next weekend - said the defeat at Villa on Friday night was "very painful" and the Reds must return to "being a team that wins trophies".

Liverpool won the Premier League last season after Slot succeeded Klopp, who was known for playing so-called "heavy metal football".

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Aston Villa’s match against Liverpool in the Premier League. Salah's damning verdict on 'painful' season

In a scathing assessment of Liverpool's form this season, Salah said in a statement on social media: "I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions.

"It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

"Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good.

"It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it. Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games.

"Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on. As I've always said, qualifying to next season's Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen."

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Jamie Redknapp believes Arne Slot will be under immense pressure if Liverpool fail to secure Champions League football next season, especially with Xabi Alonso available to replace him.

Salah said after December's 3-3 draw at Leeds that he had been "thrown under the bus" and had no relationship with Slot.

The 33-year-old Egyptian striker has scored over 250 goals for Liverpool and established himself as one of the club's greatest ever players since joining from Roma in 2017.

Liverpool announced in March that Salah - who has won two Premier League titles along with a Champions League crown, FA Cup and two Carabao Cup trophies, while he is the club's third all-time top goalscorer - would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season on a free transfer.

Salah had signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April 2025.

Slot insists Liverpool will be a better force next season

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Arne Slot admitted that Liverpool struggled to cope with Aston Villa's quality and intensity after the heavy 4-2 defeat at Villa Park.

Meanwhile, under-pressure Liverpool boss Slot has promised next season will be better.

Liverpool's trophyless season comes to an end at home to Brentford on May 24. Depending on results for Bournemouth and Brighton over the next few days, Liverpool might need a positive result to secure a top-five finish to qualify for the Champions League.

The Dutchman accepted supporters might not find reason to be optimistic after a difficult camptaign, but he is expecting better from his side neaxt season.

"I can understand at this moment of time that they don't have a lot of confidence or a lot of feeling that things can be much better next season," Slot said.

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Virgil van Dijk reflects on a disappointing season for Liverpool as they look to go a step closer to Champions League football for next year against Aston Villa

"But I think then they are underestimating what a window can do, what a new start can do, and I think we know quite well what to improve.

"I think one of the things we have to improve is also very, very, very obvious, and I would have preferred not to talk about it here, but you're actually almost forcing me to.

"If you miss nine players that can start a game of football, and almost all of them are starters for us or have been for large part of the season, then if you add that to what you can improve in a window and add that to players that are playing for the second season in the Premier League, that will automatically lead to much more.

"I don't think the differences are so big, only doing in a few situations the right thing can already have a best massive upwards possibility."

The damning Liverpool stats...

• Liverpool have conceded four goals in a Premier League game for the first time since a 4-4 draw with Southampton in their final match of the 2022-23 season.
• The Reds have also leaked more than 50 goals in a 38-game Premier League campaign for the first time (52).
• Liverpool lost their 19th game of the season across all competitions. Since they were last promoted to the top-flight in 1962 only in 1992-93 (20) have the Reds suffered more defeats in a campaign (also 19 in 2004-05 and 2009-10).
• Excluding penalties, Liverpool have conceded the most goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season (20) – the Reds have conceded 11 goals via corners for the first time in a Premier League campaign.

Carra: Liverpool have too many weak players

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool have far too many "weak" players in their team after they were "taken to the cleaners" by Aston Villa in their 4-2 loss on Friday Night Football.

Their defensive frailties continued against Unai Emery's side and Liverpool have now let in 52 goals in the league this season - the most they have ever conceded in a 38-game season.

"This has been happening from the first day of the season on a Friday night against Bournemouth," said Carragher on Sky Sports co-commentary duty.

"Liverpool have far too many weak players - physically and mentally - and it has to be fixed. It looks like Arne Slot is going to be the man who has to fix it next season.

"But this result does nothing in terms of the feelings of the supporters around his position right now.

"Liverpool don't excel at anything. They look like a really average team. They have been taken to the cleaners."

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Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool have far too many "weak" players in their team after they were "taken to the cleaners" by Aston Villa in their 4-2 loss on Friday Night Football.

The Reds succumbed to a 12th league defeat of the season, meaning Arne Slot's side have not won a Premier League away game against a team in the top nine all term.

Their defensive frailties continued against Unai Emery's side and Liverpool have now let in 52 goals in the league this season - the most they have ever conceded in a 38-game season.

Image: Liverpool are at an all-time low defensively

"This has been happening from the first day of the season on a Friday night against Bournemouth," said Carragher on Sky Sports co-commentary duty.

"Liverpool have far too many weak players - physically and mentally - and it has to be fixed. It looks like Arne Slot is going to be the man who has to fix it next season.

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Aston Villa’s match against Liverpool in the Premier League

"But this result does nothing in terms of the feelings of the supporters around his position right now.

"Liverpool don't excel at anything. They look like a really average team. They have been taken to the cleaners."

'I can't actually believe Liverpool are fifth'

Carragher took issue with Liverpool failing to get a big result away from home against a team currently sitting in the top nine positions all season - adding it is more about character than quality.

The only time Liverpool have not lost against those teams was a goalless draw against Arsenal in January.

Image: Liverpool have struggled against the best teams away from home

"When you look at those results away from home, I always think it tells you about your personality and character," said Carragher.

"I can't actually believe that Liverpool are fifth in the league. You think about the numbers of the goals they've conceded, they never look threatening going forward, and that away record - and Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League? Wow.

"It's the first season where I've seen Virgil van Dijk look human - and it's had an effect on others. When you look at his partners, people tell me how good they are.

"But when Van Dijk is not at his best, sometimes you need them to step up and help him a little bit. It doesn't happen."

Should Liverpool stick with Slot or go for Alonso?

Meanwhile, fellow Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes Slot deserves another year in charge - despite Liverpool's poor season.

However, he also understands there is an "elephant in the room" regarding Xabi Alonso - who is wanted by Chelsea and has been called for by Liverpool fans to take over from Slot in the summer.

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Jamie Redknapp believes Arne Slot will be under immense pressure if Liverpool fail to secure Champions League football next season, especially with Xabi Alonso available to replace him

"What I'm seeing this year is what I expected to happen last year," said Redknapp. "I thought Liverpool would have a difficult time after losing Jurgen Klopp, because he was such a talismanic manager and influential on everything.

"But it didn't happen. They won the league. This year there has been such a drop-off. There are so many reasons behind it, so many mitigating circumstances at the start of the season, and I don't want to make excuses for the players.

"Because that isn't good enough, what we've seen this year and what they've served up, the energy.

"But Alexander Isak was signed for big money, got injured, starts getting fit, gets injured again. Hugo Ekitike has had an up and down start. You can't address problems when you haven't had the best players fit. It's hard to address a problem when you haven't got Isak and [Florian] Wirtz.

"A lot of this is on Arne Slot. If they don't get Champions League football he will be under certain pressure. There will be question marks.

"But you see it, hear it - a lot of people are moving away from him being their manager next year. I really struggle with that. Because when you've won the league the year before and you get rid of the manager the year after, that doesn't sit too well with me.

"Obviously the massive elephant in the room is Xabi Alonso. A lot of fans in the room are seduced by that idea, he did a great job at Leverkusen and he's an elite manager. I can see the attraction.

"But there's a part of me that thinks Slot deserves another year because of winning the Premier League title. I expect better next year. I expect a better version of Wirtz, I see a better version of Liverpool once Isak is fit. Ekitike is a while off, they need a new right-back and they need more energy in the team.

"But I feel uncomfortable getting rid of a manager after getting Champions League."

Slot asked: Is this is a mentality issue?

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Arne Slot admitted that Liverpool struggled to cope with Aston Villa's quality and intensity after the heavy 4-2 defeat at Villa Park

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot to Sky Sports:

"They [the players] did cope with this difficult away game and were fully in the game and able to maybe get a result. But after the 2-1 we crumbled and we struggled.

"In the end we came back to 4-2, so they did not give up, but we struggled to control their pace, intensity and quality.

"We've definitely conceded far too many goals. We also haven't scored enough goals, although two at Villa Park is not bad. If you told me we did that before the game, I would think we are not far from a good result.

"When we are the better team, we struggle to find that goal, mainly because we are not able to create big enough chances when we are the better team.

"When we have a period of time when we are struggling or the other team are better than us, we tend to concede too easy.

"Before this game there was only Bournemouth that has conceded more set-piece goals than us. After this I would not be surprised if we are No 1. That is never a good thing."

Arne's right! The stats that damn Liverpool...

• Excluding penalties, Liverpool have conceded the most goals from set pieces in the Premier League this season (20). The Reds have conceded 11 goals via corners for the first time in a Premier League campaign.
• Liverpool conceded four goals in a Premier League game for the first time since a 4-4 draw with Southampton in their final match of the 2022/23 season.
• The Reds have also leaked more than 50 goals in a 38-game Premier League campaign for the first time (52).
• Liverpool lost their 19th game of the season across all competitions. Since they were last promoted to the top flight in 1962 only in 1992/93 (20) have the Reds suffered more defeats in a campaign (also 19 in 2004/05 and 2009/10).
• Liverpool have conceded 77 goals this season in all competitions. It's the second-most Liverpool have managed since the start of the Premier League.

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