Arne Slot risks rift with Mohamed Salah, warns Dean Saunders

Just when Liverpool thought they’d turned a corner, the inconsistency has crept back in. Impressive wins over Real Madrid and Aston Villa were followed by damaging defeats to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and PSV. Their victory over West Ham at the weekend offered some respite, but that momentum stalled once again with a 1–1 draw against high-flying Sunderland at Anfield - a match where Mohamed Salah, for the second consecutive game, did not make the starting XI.

We sat down with former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders to discuss Salah’s omission, the wider issues surrounding Arne Slot’s side, and what this situation could mean for the Egyptian’s future.

Salah’s importance and a difficult start to the season

Without Mohamed Salah last season, Liverpool simply do not win the Premier League. His 29 goals in 38 league games were instrumental in delivering the title during Slot’s debut campaign. He also equalled the Premier League record for goal involvements in a single season with 18 assists, drawing level with Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer.

This season, though, has been markedly different. With Liverpool enduring a bleak patch, Salah has scored only five goals, and more noticeably, he has been left out of the last two starting line-ups. Saunders believes the Egyptian has become an unintended casualty of the club’s sweeping summer overhaul - with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Díaz departing, and Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz among those arriving. Looking at the pressure on new signings and Slot’s decision-making, Saunders said:

“As a player I can put myself in Isak’s shoes because I went to Liverpool for a big transfer fee. And I understand the pressure him and Wirtz are under. But I can also relate to Slot as a manager and I looked at Liverpool’s recent line up without Salah and saw Gakpo starting. Is he better than Salah? Has Wirtz done better than Salah?”

He argues Salah’s output is being hurt by the loss of elite creators:

“Three months ago I said he was the best player in the world when they won the league. Since then he’s lost Trent Alexander-Arnold and his disguised passing which is the best in the world. Salah would get in behind the left backs he faced even though they knew what he wanted to do because they couldn’t read Trent’s passing or van Dijk’s diagonals.”

“Now he’s got Frimpong and Bradley alongside him who are high and wide outside him and teams are doubling up on Salah because they think Bradley and Frimpong can’t hurt them like Trent would.”

This weekend, Liverpool face a tricky test in the form of a trip to take on Leeds United, who are coming off the back of a nice win over Chelsea. Salah is currently priced at 11/10 to score in that one, and if you fancy backing him, you can use our free bet calculator to see how much you could stand to earn.

A team missing its old structure

Saunders also points out that the supporting cast around Salah has changed dramatically. The forward is no longer receiving the same types of passes, movements or combinations that previously elevated his numbers and influence.

“In the past he had Jota, may he rest in peace or Nunez who are no longer available. On the left Diaz used to cross the ball for Salah and Andy Robertson who is no longer playing either. Now it’s Kerkez.”

Perhaps the strongest criticism Saunders levels at Liverpool concerns their defensive line, which he feels has become unrecognisable from the commanding, structured unit of previous seasons. He believes the instability behind Salah is seeping into the forward’s game, contributing to a decline in Liverpool’s rhythm and confidence.

“The back four now is so disjointed to the point it’s no longer a mid table back four. If you play Jones, Szobslai, Gomez, Konate, van Dijk and Kerkez with a goalkeeper who is replacing Allison, the best in the world, that defence is mid table.”

“Salah is suffering from all the changes in the team and the defence recently have been leaking goals. West Ham was their first clean sheet. They need to play players who are good at getting the ball back from the opposition.”

A warning to Slot: don’t damage the relationship

Saunders fears that the decision to drop Salah may have personal consequences. Given Salah’s status, history and pride, there is concern that this could become a lingering issue if not handled delicately. He also highlights the sheer number of departed players who previously formed the spine of the team.

“Wirtz wants to get in between the lines and he did albeit against a poor West Ham team. Poor. Liverpool would have beat West Ham with Salah playing and if I were Salah I’d be thinking how are they playing ahead of me. It’ll be interesting if Salah accepts what’s happened or if this comes back to haunt Slot. As a manager, leaving your best player out is risky. It hurts their pride.”

“What title winning team lets eight players go. The players who left would get into most teams. Tsimikas would never let you down. He’s proven. Quansah would step in. Harvey Elliott and Nunez too. He scored more goals in the last 15 minutes than any other striker in the league last season coming off the bench. Tragically lost Jota who would score 10–15 goals a season. And now people are pointing the finger at Salah.”

Salah, he says, has lost the unselfish workers who once gave him freedom.

“Salah used to have Jordan Henderson on the right of a midfield three to do Salah’s running. Unselfishly. Or it would be Milner. They allowed Salah and Mane to save their energy for attacking.”

Has Ekitike been harshly treated?

One of the side-effects of Liverpool’s overhaul has been the difficulty faced by Hugo Ekitike, whose bright start faded once Isak arrived. Saunders sees promise in him but believes the wider issue lies with a drop in collective work rate.

“Ekitike has probably been the best out of the new Liverpool signings but if I were Arne Slot I would sit the front three down and show them videos of Mane, Firmino and

Salah who would work so hard to get the ball back from the opposition. You had to get past them three first. Superb football brains, anticipation and they would work hard.”

“I would also show the current Liverpool midfield how Henderson, Fabinho and Wijnaldum played. And I would show the current back four how Liverpool kept clean sheets when Trent and Robertson were in the back line.”

A message for Wirtz: no passengers allowed

Florian Wirtz arrived with a glowing reputation and a pedigree that made him one of Europe’s most sought-after young attackers. However, Saunders argues that his adaptation to Liverpool’s demands must be much quicker, particularly out of possession.

“Right now the front three isn’t working hard enough. It’s simple. They’re all talented players but unless there’s a combined work rate they’ll keep struggling. I’d also warn Wirtz to not expect to be a loose number ten who doesn’t have to dig in when we lose the ball. You’re playing for Liverpool. We don’t carry anyone. If you don’t want to work hard go and play for someone else. They’ve got to learn quickly. The team that wins the league is the team that wins the ball back quickly.”

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