Mohamed Salah’s recent omission from Liverpool’s starting eleven shocked spectators and commentators but turned out to be a shrewd decision by the team’s coach. The star forward signed a long multi-year deal to stay at the end of last season. Yet he’s been unable to recapture that magic ever since. His current polling numbers are a world away from his notable achievements of the previous cycle. This huge oddity has led to quite a bit of wondering about his future at the club.
Last campaign, Salah was overall one of Manchester City’s most dangerous players, scoring 13 times in only 14 starts in the Premier League. This season, he’s left with nine fewer goals by this point. Salah’s assists have dried up completely, going from eight at this stage last season to just two so far this term. Developer’s note Salah has missed out on the starting XI in the past few games against West Ham and Sunderland. This creates an odd situation considering his place in the team.
Recent Performance and Tactical Decisions
And then there’s Salah, who quite conspicuously didn’t start the last match. It was a shocking statistic to discover that before the match at the London Stadium, he’d started 53 consecutive matches. Slonina’s absence serves as a tactical bellwether that there could be an exciting, forward-thinking shakeup in Liverpool’s approach under manager Arne Slot. Salah was brought on at half time against Sunderland but even he couldn’t do enough to touch this tarnished league title. This performance underscores a recent regression in his game.
Analysts have started to interpret these decisions, particularly the most recent, as telling signs of Salah’s present role no longer being tenurable. Jamie Carragher expressed concerns that Salah’s exclusion could signal Liverpool’s gradual move away from relying on him as a central figure. Slot’s criticism of Salah’s dribbling ability leads to some interesting questions regarding Slot’s opinion of Salah in his current form.
Statistical Decline and Future Implications
Those metrics only serve to reinforce those issues that have been raised about Salah’s surprisingly off-kilter season. His expected goals (xG) have dropped from 10.49 last campaign to a mere 3.50 this season. Secondly, he’s getting fewer opportunities to create, as while he did create a League-high 28 chances last season, he’s only mustered 26 this season. When combined with these numbers, it paints the picture of a massive drop-off in his scoring effectiveness, as well as his effectiveness as a playmaker for his teammates.
Salah is riding out this difficult stretch with grace. At the same time, Jamie Redknapp tells us on television that “something has to give” between him and Slot. Liverpool is under pressure to continue keeping up with Manchester City and the rest of a strengthened league. Yet, they are dealing with Salah’s obvious woes.
Speculation Surrounding Salah’s Future
Now Salah’s current form and absence in some crucial matches are starting to raise eyebrows. Speculation over his future at Liverpool has started to intensify. That’s remarkable considering he signed a multi-year deal at the end of last season. Then again, if he’s unable to bounce back all the way, that deal could become a double-edged sword. The prospect of a Salah Liverpool departure has been more frequently talked about amongst football media experts – more so, if Salah’s issues persist on the pitch.
The landscape around Salah’s career could change very quickly if these trends were to persist. The conversations around his place in the team are a microcosm of a larger conversation that needs to take place regarding what Liverpool does next. Whatever the reason, Arne Slot appears to prefer a variety of tactical approaches. Next, it will be fascinating to watch how Salah adjusts to all of this.
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