The latest Liverpool news as an Anfield legend calls for Arne Slot to drop Mohamed Salah due to poor performances
Mohamed Salah struggled in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City
Mohamed Salah seemed to struggled in Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City
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Liverpool legend Steve Nicol believes Arne Slot should bench Mohamed Salah due to the Egyptian star’s poor run of form. Salah is one of several Liverpool players struggling to find rhythm at the start of the new campaign. Following the club’s Premier League title-winning season, in which he scored 29 goals in 38 league appearances, the 33-year-old has been unable to replicate that form this time around.
Slot’s side appears to be going through a difficult period, with expensive new signings such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak also struggling to make an impact. After eleven games, Liverpool sit eighth in the table - eight points behind leaders Arsenal.
Salah has managed five goals and three assists in his 16 appearances this season, but the Egyptian international doesn’t look as sharp or clinical as before. When asked if Slot should consider dropping Salah, Nicol gave a straight answer.
He told ESPN FC: "Yes I would. The second part of the question is, for who? You have to try and figure a way out to get him back to somewhere near his best. And so far, playing him and playing him and playing him isn’t working.
Mohamed Salah is set to miss a sustained period of action for Liverpool due to the Africa Cup of Nations
Mohamed Salah is set to miss a period of action for Liverpool due to the Africa Cup of Nations
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"I got excited when he scored a couple of goals in a couple of games [against Brentford and Aston Villa], but his overall performance hasn’t really changed much other than those two goals.
"Now the only other thing you can do is sit him on the bench. Sit down, have a look, maybe a different perspective.
"Then play him the next game and let’s see if there’s any sort of reaction because unfortunately he’s reached the stage now where the team can’t carry him anymore. Simple as that."
Nicol was asked whether Slot might be using Salah as much as possible with the African Cup of Nations approaching next month. The Liverpool legend again had a blunt response.
"Unfortunately there’s an answer to that: What is the point?" Nicol stated. "The guy is not giving you anything!
"You could look at it the other way and say: 'He’s going to be away for two or three months so we may as well try and figure something out now. Why am I going to wait on a guy who’s giving me nothing? I need to be proactive here. I can’t just sit on my hands and let it happen and hope and pray that all of a sudden somebody waves a magic wand and he becomes the Egyptian King again.’
"I absolutely think he needs to do something and my own personal opinion, I would sit him."
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