Mohamed Salah has attempted to clarify what he meant with some of his post-match remarks following Liverpool's comfortable 4-0 home win over enemies Manchester United.
The Reds talisman raised eyebrows after the full-time whistle when he seemingly suggested that the game was easy for Liverpool because United's players made it so. Luis Diaz opened the scoring after just five minutes following some dismal defending from Ralf Rangnick's side and many expected the floodgates to open.
Salah doubled Liverpool's advantage shortly after by effortlessly latching onto a ludicrous no-look Sadio Mane through ball and proceeded to calmly finish beyond the onrushing David de Gea. Sadio Mane added a third for the hosts just after the hour mark before Salah netted his second to wrap up the result.
After the game, the former Chelsea and AS Roma man explained: "In midfield, they make our life easier, we have a clean sheet here and there. Once we get the first goal, we want the second and the third. It was a top performance by us and hopefully, we continue."
While many Reds fans enjoyed what looked to be a subtle jab in United's direction, he has since clarified that is not how he intended his comments to come across. Taking to Twitter, Salah wrote: "I meant our midfield, and our defence, make it easy for us. I was not talking about the Manchester United players whom I respect."
Salah was simply delighted to be back on the scoresheet but stressed how him increasing his tally is not the most important thing, particularly at this stage of the season: "I score many goals for this club," he said. "Sometimes you have bad luck. The most important thing is the team winning. We just need to focus on ourselves and the rest is not in our hands."
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While Salah was kind enough to clarify he did not mean to criticise United's players, the misfiring Red Devils stars have already faced serious backlash from elsewhere.
Ex-Old Trafford favourite Gary Neville did not hold back while on co-commentary duty for the game, claiming: "The players are broken, they are broken players. There are some decent players out there, they have talent and have played at good levels, but they are finished and they are broken this season. It is a mess.
"I have no idea and don’t know how to explain how it has gone from being slightly promising, finishing second last season, to the point of an all time low in my 42 years of watching United. I have never seen it as bad as that. I have never seen a Manchester United team wilt in a football game in my 40 years of watching them."
