Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool defender, and now a ESPN/FOX pundit. Those were Jamie Carragher’s damning words as he described how he feared for Mohamed Salah’s lack of noise after Liverpool FC’s woeful showing on our last Monday Night Football visit. Carragher highlighted the contrast between Salah’s tentative leadership style and Virgil van Dijk’s vocal approach while captain. That difference was starkly highlighted in the aftermath of Liverpool’s miserable display at Nottingham Forest.
Carragher explained that though Van Dijk is always available for media when Liverpool lost, Salah has not spoken. He highlighted the importance of Salah, an essential figure among the team, to take responsibility. More than that, it’s important for him to be in these difficult moments accessible to fans and media alike.
Carragher on Salah’s Silence
During his analysis on Sky Sports, Carragher slammed Salah’s performance. He noted that Salah only makes noise when he wants to be heard, such as receiving Man of the Match Award or contract negotiation time rolls around. He challenged the forward to be committed to greater transparency in discussing the team’s woes.
“On the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it’s always Van Dijk who comes out and speaks. The captain should do that but there should be other players in that dressing room and speaking for the club.” – Jamie Carragher
As an ardent football fan, Carragher was dismayed. He believes it’s time for Salah to step up and lead conversations on how the team can improve from its current state. He believes that Salah should use his status as a “leader and legend” of Liverpool to engage with fans and clarify the team’s direction during this crisis.
“I would like to see Salah as one of the leaders and legends of Liverpool come out and speak for the team.” – Jamie Carragher
Pressure on Arne Slot
The focus then turned to the Liverpool manager, Arne Slot. Carragher believes he is under massive pressure due to the team’s shocking run of form. Still, under this pressure, he can’t imagine Slot losing his job this season. Carragher was quick to brush these rumors aside, claiming that the same fate awaits Slot’s job. He argued that these conversations aren’t like anything compared to what former manager Jurgen Klopp faced when he was in the hot seat.
“But at no stage did I feel that we were speaking about Jurgen Klopp’s position in the way people have been speaking about Arne Slot’s position over the weekend.” – Jamie Carragher
Carragher admitted to the hypocrisy experienced between managers depending on their previous success. He noted that Slot doesn’t get the “unconditional love” from fans and critics. This stood in contrast with Jürgen Klopp, who had a free pass to fail while at Liverpool.
A Call for Leadership
Liverpool continues to feel the effects of that dip in fortunes. Carragher’s argument is that players – particularly experienced pros such as Salah – need to be held accountable and set an example. In order to do that, he urged Salah to speak up, to be a representative and an ambassador for the team.
Carragher’s critique of Salah may seem a bit extreme on the surface. He says it’s because of the high standards for a player like Salah. He stated that during difficult periods, real leaders step up to the challenge. It’s more important than ever for all players to come together and address these challenges as one.
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