Carragher Questions Salah’s Guaranteed Starting Position at Liverpool

In fact, he even goes as far as to claim that the famous forward wouldn’t automatically start for Liverpool in all of their games. The ex-Liverpool defender, now a star football analyst in Canada, was sharing some wisdom recently that bears serious consideration. Importantly, he underscored a need for the team to evaluate its lineup on merit, not reputation alone.

He noted a marked drop in the physical performance of Salah. This drop indicates that he may be failing to live up to the lofty expectations heaped upon him. He underscored Salah’s contributions to Liverpool throughout the years. As those performances of late show, it’s clear he is becoming a bit of a liability on the field. This, according to Carragher, deserves further consideration of his place in the starting lineup for the team.

Carragher’s comments are particularly relevant, of course, as we see Liverpool’s attacking trio — any trio for that matter — being met with more and more competition for their positions. A few other players are in the mix to start. This begs the question: is loyalty to a player who has served a long tenure with the team more important than putting out the most productive lineup? Carragher argues that managers must prioritize current form and contribution, even when it involves making tough decisions about established stars.

The discussion surrounding Salah’s role in the team gained momentum after a series of matches where his impact on the game seemed diminished. Carragher fears that if this worrying trend is not rectified soon, it can easily eat away at Liverpool’s whole season. That helps to explain why, in this short and wildly unpredictable league, depth and adaptability writ large are important elements to success. Planning for the future of the team based solely on Salah’s past successes will be short sighted.

Liverpool have been preparing for their next matches. The pressure is now on manager Jürgen Klopp to figure out how to address growing concerns over Salah’s workload. The balance between experience and current performance will likely be pivotal in determining the team’s success in the matches ahead.