Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian forward who has been a pivotal player for Liverpool since his arrival in 2017, finds himself at a crossroads as his relationship with manager Arne Slot deteriorates. At 33 years old, Salah’s performance has noticeably declined this season, raising concerns among fans and analysts alike. For the first time in his eight-year career with the club, his dribble success rate is under 25 percent. At the same time, he’s getting stopped at an unprecedented rate for his touches inside the box per 90 minutes.
Salah wasn’t even on the field this past weekend, but he still stole the show in the Premier League. His fiery remarks following Liverpool’s pulsating 3-3 stalemate with Leeds United whipped up a frenzy for sure. Yet his comments betrayed a sense that he felt ostracized from the team. In light of this, pressure on his role at the club in general and his future has grown.
A Relationship in Decline
One area that’s become clear is that Salah’s relationship with Slot has deteriorated tremendously. The manager’s tactical changes, aimed at evolving Liverpool’s playing style, have inadvertently marginalized Salah’s impact on the pitch. At first, Slot tweaked the system to accommodate Florian Wirtz, working him into a 4-2-3-1. This change naturally pushed Salah further from the goal.
This strategic transition has not just reduced Salah’s chances to score, it has diminished his overall impact on matches as well. Heatmaps show a severe decline in his participation. This startling drop-off is alarming for someone who was once a world-class poised, aggressive attacker.
“I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone does not want me in the club.” – Mohamed Salah
Salah’s frustrations were visible when he said, “I am on the bench and I don’t know why.” These remarks point toward a much larger problem in the club. This issue has the potential to disenfranchise a player who has been pivotal to Liverpool’s glory years.
Struggles on the Field
Through the lens of other top forward performers, this season is a significant drop in Salah’s performance compared to the past five years. His scoring history should give anyone serious pause. Since the end of February, he hasn’t scored more than six total goals in 33 appearances including zero from penalties. This double blow is exacerbated by fellow Scouser Jamie Carragher’s melancholic assessment that Salah has lost that explosive edge on his legs.
Salah is now much more frequently receiving the ball in wide areas, often in 1v2 or 1v3 situations with defenders closing down the flank. Yet his transformational effectiveness has clearly diminished. He has all but self-cannibalized the creative, daring playing style that had previously made him one of football’s most terrifying attacking talents.
The statistics speak volumes about his current form: Salah’s dribble success rate has plummeted and his touches inside the box are at an all-time low. If conditions don’t change soon, Salah is in danger of fading into a phantom of his old self.
Liverpool’s Shift in Strategy
As Salah’s physical prowess seems to be dimming, Liverpool have started to understand that they can’t play Salah the same way anymore. The club can’t keep leaning on a player the club knows they can no longer count on due to the player’s aging form. Their tactical evolution under Slot, which I’ll explain below, embodies this need.
Liverpool’s management must balance accommodating Salah’s legacy while integrating new talents into the team. Most importantly, we need to maximize Salah’s positive attributes before age takes its toll. We need to keep moving the squad forward without being overly dependent on him.
“Crosses are fine, right or left foot it does not matter. If it is effective it is fine. But I like simplicity. Messi never made a mistake with the simple things.” – Unattributed
Certainly going forward, as other players are called upon to pick up the slack, Salah’s role within the team should be recalibrated. The club now needs to figure out how to maximize his skill set and contribution while preparing for a day without him.
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