Mohamed Salah ‘undermined’ Jurgen Klopp with his Chelsea tantrum… and the Liverpool manager failed to deal with it, says Chris Sutton on Mail Sport’s new podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off’

One of the highlights of Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday was Mohamed Salah’s furious reaction to his substitution.

The Egyptian knocked down Jurgen Klopp and made it a point to tear the tape off his wrist as he trudged off, throwing him to the ground.

He was replaced by 17-year-old Ben Doak when Liverpool needed a goal and did not take kindly to his manager’s decision.

Mail Sport’s brand new podcast, It all startsaddressed the open disagreements and how the manager could or should have handled them, with Chris Sutton arguing it was ‘undermining’ Klopp and setting a ‘stimulating’ example for younger players.

This is how Sutton and Ian Ladyman viewed the incident at Stamford Bridge.

Salah walked past Klopp and completely ignored him after he was substituted

Ian Ladyman: Mo Salah has what you could describe as having a bit of a tantrum on his way to the field after being dunked, what’s your take on that?

Chris Sutton: I did not like it. I thought he was undermining the manager at the time. I don’t care what anyone says. If every player acted in that petulant way then Liverpool would be in big trouble. He can’t, he must realize that.

Klopp actually, I heard him talk about it after the game, I don’t think he necessarily handled the situation. I think he should have condemned Salah for that, but he didn’t because we know why, Salah is their best player.

Ian Ladyman: Everyone in that press room at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and I was there, everyone in that press room was waiting and praying that Klopp would criticize Salah for the headlines but he’d be crazy to do that because that does everything is a story the next revive the day.

Chris Sutton: You have to have standards in a football club so you know why Mo Salah treats different people? Privately, I’m sure Klopp will have an opinion. Publicly, it makes absolutely no sense to bury your best player in the first weekend of the season. I get that, but then you can’t argue that he undermined Klopp. And that doesn’t look good for Klopp. If Mo Salah can do it, then any other Liverpool player can do it. And does Klopp deal with it differently?

Ian Ladyman: Very, very good question. When you’re in that locker room. and you’re a younger player, a less experienced player, a new player, someone like Alexis McAllister, and you see that happening, you see Salah behaving like this, what do you think about? It makes you think that you could possibly do the same. I’ll give you an example of that.

So last season, Eric Tenhag benched Marcus Rashford for being late for a team meeting. I think that was the right thing to do. There’s the line. Players know where the line is. And I just think from Klopp’s point of view, the fact that Mo Salah undermined him, that doesn’t look good. You know, your leader must have strength and Klopp looked like he had no strength. He should have handled it. I’m surprised Klopp didn’t deal with it after that. Have you ever done it?

Sutton believes Salah undermined the manager with his very public response

Salah could be seen on the television cameras reacting angrily to his replacement

Chris Sutton: No never. I don’t, not like that. Because you must have spoken to a lot of people. In my head I would have said anything to the manager. But then, you know, I would have realized the effect my actions would have had. And no matter how frustrated a player is, they can’t act that way.

Ian Ladyman: Let’s take you back to your time as a UK record transfer. Again, say you play for Blackburn in that first season and you get substituted because maybe you didn’t score and didn’t play your best game and you know the cameras are on your face as you leave the field. What is going through your mind at that moment?

Chris Sutton: I don’t think I was ever replaced in that first season of Blackburn… But you know, I’m taking the broader point, but no one likes it. But everyone must understand. It can affect team spirit and team morale. And, you know, I don’t think that’s a good look… It doesn’t fit well in the dressing room.

Ian Ladyman: Well, on a broader point with Salah, I think if any frustration gets into Salah’s head this season, Liverpool must have a really good one, because he already knows he’s not playing in the Champions League this season. If this campaign plays out the same way, I wonder how Salah will be in his head.

Chris Sutton: So you’re saying he’s off this season or won’t get a Champions League spot, or they’re not competing for the Premier League?

Ian Ladyman: “I say they are, I imagine, very happy and lucky to still have him this season. And I can imagine without a doubt that there will be batons in his ear. Saudi Arabia will be in his ear. Other clubs in Spain will sound like him. I’m just saying, I think that’s one to watch. That’s one to watch.’

Ladyman thinks there may be interest in Salah before the window closes

Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off reflected all the action from the weekend