Jamie Carragher described Liverpool’s victory at Inter Milan as a huge boost for Arne Slot, saying the result eased pressure on the manager after a very public falling-out with Mohamed Salah. The Champions League win also improved Liverpool’s standing in the group and gave the team momentum after a tricky run of fixtures.
Speaking on CBS, Carragher said he had wanted Liverpool to win ‘more so for the manager’ given what Slot had been through in recent days. He admitted he did not know Slot well personally but felt the crowd’s backing when supporters chanted the manager’s name at 0-0 demonstrated clear support. Carragher called the San Siro success ‘massive’, pointing out how difficult the venue is and how important the result was following a home defeat to PSV in the competition. He added he was ‘happy for him’ and ‘over the moon’ about the outcome.
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal from the penalty spot to secure the 1-0 victory. Slot largely avoided discussing Salah in depth after the game. The forward had been left out of the squad following an extraordinary outburst after Saturday’s draw with Leeds, an incident that has prompted debate about team discipline and leadership.
Slot said the late equaliser at Leeds had been hard to take and that the subsequent events had been emotional and had ‘cost maybe a little bit of energy.’ He praised his players’ resilience, noting the compressed schedule — four matches in 10 days — and the reliance on a core group of 13 outfield players with Premier League or Champions League experience. He insisted attention should remain on the players who delivered in Milan.
The manager also acknowledged how the situation with Salah naturally affects the dressing room, given how influential the forward is for the club and his teammates. Slot said it was never easy to see a team-mate go through something like this and raised the question of whether the player recognises his mistake and whether reconciliation should be initiated by the manager or the player. After the match he clarified he was not insisting Salah must make the first move, but stressed that internal conversations should reflect the performance in Milan and the support shown by fans for figures such as Virgil van Dijk.
Overall, Carragher and Slot both framed the Inter win as an important moment: it stabilised Liverpool’s Champions League campaign, gave the manager breathing space after a tumultuous few days, and highlighted the squad’s ability to refocus amid off-field drama.