The mere mention of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino is enough to send shivers down the spines of defenders who faced Liverpool’s fearsome three-headed monster during their time in the Premier League. The prolific trio racked up 731 appearances combined during their time together, with 66% of their assists coming from setting each other up.

Despite their on-field perfection, though, grumblings of a less harmonious off-field relationship among the trio have recently surfaced. While they set aside any tensions to propel the Jurgen Klopp era to new heights, Firmino – the most selfless of the trio – has since spoken out about his attacking partners’ self-centred tendencies that saw his manager intervene.

Firmino Details Mane & Salah’s Love-Hate Relationship

The two African icons didn’t always see eye-to-eye

While Firmino and Mane have since left Liverpool after departing for Saudi Arabia, Salah remained at Anfield despite a late push from Al-Ittihad last summer that saw a bid in excess of £150m rejected by the club. If not for the Reds’ hierarchy’s desire to keep the Egyptian, it would have marked the first time Salah and Mane faced off as rivals rather than teammates.

However, according to Firmino’s latest book, which was released in 2023, their rivalry may have been simmering for quite some time anyway. One excerpt highlights the tension between them, particularly an infamous moment during Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Burnley when Mane was furious after Salah chose not to pass to him for an open goal.

Writing in his book, ‘Si Senor: My Liverpool Years’, Firmino wrote: “Tense moments usually passed quickly. In the next game, one would be passing the ball to the other – or passing it to me, who would then pass it to the other – and we’d be celebrating another goal for our team.”

“Together. Salah and Mane had had their little problems before, but that time everything happened on the field, there for the world to see. That day, at Burnley, the lid came off.”

“Their argument wasn’t funny,” Firmino continued, as per talkSPORT. “Potentially, it could have caused problems for us. Maybe the Boss [Jurgen Klopp] and some others were worried. They were never best friends; each kept himself to himself. It was rare to see the two of them talking, and I’m not sure if that had to do with the Egypt–Senegal rivalry in African competitions. I truly don’t know. But they also never stopped talking, never severed ties. They always acted with the utmost professionalism.”

While the Brazilian prided himself on getting stuck in with the dirty work so that his attacking teammates could lap up most of the praise, Firmino admitted that Salah frustrated him – as well as other teammates – at times, too. He continued:

“I don’t know if he was aware of it or not, but Salah used to frustrate everyone when he didn’t pass the ball. I knew how to handle that situation better than most. Klopp addressed this issue in front of all of us: when a teammate was in a better position, the ball had to be passed. It was a clear hint aimed at Salah.”

Salah Has Improved His Creative Output Recently

The Egyptian King has already provided 10 assists in all competitions this season

After Graeme Souness, the legendary Liverpool midfielder who captained the club to three European Cups in the late 1970s and early 1980s, also shared the opinion that Salah is selfish, the 32-year-old has become no stranger to the idea that his playing style radiates self-importance. However, what can’t be denied, is that the Egyptian has become a next-level playmaker since that Burnley game, which would suggest he has taken the criticism to heart.

In 19 games across all competitions this season, he has provided 10 assists, which means he has now scored and assisted in double figures across the last eight campaigns. Meanwhile, his tally of 75 assists in the Premier League ranks him as the 13th-highest assist-provider in the competition’s history, just two behind Thierry Henry.

“Over the years, I must say, this aspect of his game improved significantly,” Firmino also acknowledged in his book. “He gradually learned to be less selfish and more cooperative – notwithstanding the fact that he is a striker, a goalscorer, and every goalscorer tends to be a bit ‘greedy’ in the pursuit of a goal. That’s normal.”

Without Firmino or Mane by his side, Salah has not let up in his influence, as a recent study suggested that Liverpool could have found themselves as far down as 13th if they were devoid of his goal contributions this season. As luck would have it, though, the winger remains a Liverpool star for now, though contract talks have stalled once again.

Thanks to Salah’s ongoing loyalty and their new manager’s meticulous tutelage, the Reds are currently storming their way through Slot’s first season in charge, as they sit atop both the Champions League and Premier League, with the chance to go 11 points clear of the latter should they beat Manchester City this weekend.