The pressure is on Arne Slot.placeholder image
The pressure is on Arne Slot. | Getty Images
Arne Slot is under huge pressure as he takes his Liverpool side to West Ham on Sunday.
West Ham could face a Liverpool side without star man Mohamed Salah in the starting line-up at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon should Arne Slot listen to the passionate calls of former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan.
The talkSPORT host didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Egyptian international, who is part of a stuttering Reds team who have now lost their last three matches. The pressure is on Slot to turn form around with rumours of a potential sacking now rife.
Liverpool were hammered 4-1 by PSV at Anfield in midweek Champions League action after Nottingham Forest picked up a 3-0 win on Merseyside last weekend. Slot can now take his side away from the angry Anfield crowd as he travels to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Liverpool told to drop Mohamed Salah against West Ham
Liverpool face a West Ham side who are beginning to find their feet under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo. A 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth last weekend means that the Hammers are now unbeaten in their last three.
Nuno has had a full week to prepare to take on Liverpool but Slot has been told to make ruthless changes to his side ahead of taking on West Ham. Speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday, Jordan reacted to the PSV defeat and said: “Where he has to answer questions is he went with Salah, went with Konate and went with Kerkez and there’s an argument that all three of those should have been dropped.
“That’s where he’s going to catch some shrapnel for not making changes in the team for players that clearly don’t merit starting line-ups. He could have taken Konate out and put Gomez in, he could have put Andy Robertson back in the team who is chomping at the bit.
“Salah is the eternal riddle wrapped up in a rhyme as to why he isn’t performing. He needs to be hoicked. We might well see that in the next game [against West Ham]. He needs to get a reaction form the playing squad. I don’t think Virgil Van Dijk is declining, I think he’s playing in a dysfunctional unit that is not being helped by the form of Konate.”
Salah boasts impressive record against Hammers
Salah bagged 29 Premier League goals last season as he helped Liverpool to the title but has managed just four so far this term. Nonetheless, the winger has started every league fixture and only failed to play 90 minutes on one occasion.
The 33-year-old does have an impressive record against West Ham with 13 goals in 18 matches against the side across all competitions. Last season, he picked up two goals and three assists in the three meetings with the Hammers.
Asked whether the result against West Ham could be fatal for Slot’s tenure, Jordan added: “It’s the manner in which you play. If West Ham play out of their skins and Liverpool are solid and resolute and try to shut the door about conceding goals and get a 95th minute penalty against them, you answer the question then based on the performance.”
In other news, West Ham 'leading the race' to sign 33-goal Champions League striker with Leeds United and Wolves circling.
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