Steve Nicol has seen enough of Mohamed Salah, and wants Arne Slot to make a cut-throat decision.
You could name five or six players who were nowhere near good enough during Liverpool’s first-leg loss to Galatasaray, with Salah in amongst the worst.
Liverpool were toothless in attack and even worse out of possession, and something has to change if they are to turn around this deficit at Anfield next week.
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Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool FC looks on after the match with Galatasaray
Credit: Burak Basturk/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images
One step Slot can take is to drop Salah from the lineup — that’s what the former Liverpool left-back wants to see.
Steve Nicol argues for Mo Salah to be benched again at Liverpool
There wasn’t much in the way of positive post-match analysis after the final whistle sounded on Tuesday night.
Jermaine Pennant washed his hands of Slot, and most pundits wrote off any chance of making it to the latter stages of the competition off the back of that performance.
Florian Wirtz was criticised for his lacklustre return to the starting lineup, but Nicol thinks Salah should be getting the same, or worse treatment.
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Responding to a suggestion about Wirtz being the problem, he said on ESPN: “As much as we’re talking about Florian Wirtz, I mean you can say the same thing about Mo Salah. He does absolutely it does absolutely nothing for the team.
Mohamed Salah for Liverpool vs Galatasaray
Photo by Cem Hasret Tekkesinoglu/Anadolu via Getty Images
“He needs to get dropped again. Does he just say right, Frimpong starting or Ngumoha starting and Salah you’re sitting. It actually is that stage where anything really would be better.”
Co-host Craig Burley is so tired with the 33-year-old’s inconsistency that he even puts forward the much-maligned Cody Gakpo to start instead.
He asks: “Would you rather have Cody Gakpo in? At least he’ll get some. At least he’s powerful. At least he’s physical. At least he’ll run back.”
Burley too thinks Salah’s time is up. He concludes: “I don’t really care what you got on the bench. Mo Salah has to take his second trip to the subs bench. In terms of not starting , because he’s doing absolutely, well, he’s not doing a lot.”
The tables have turned on Florian Wirtz
Salah isn’t the only Liverpool star receiving criticism. Burley calls out Wirtz for his disappointing showing as well.
He says: “Florian Wirtz is going to eventually play his best football in a number 10, and if he doesn’t, Liverpool are going to have to sell him because he’s been a little bit of a waste thus far.”
Wirtz got his first start after injury against Galatasaray. To paint him with the same brush feels unfair.
Who was Liverpool’s worst player vs Galatasaray? 😬
Ibrahima Konate during Galatasaray AS v Liverpool FC - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg. Mohamed Salah pictured during Galatasaray v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League.
Credit: Liverpool FC/Cem Hasret Tekkesinoglu/Anadolu/Getty Images
Let’s not forget the run of form he had earlier this year. There’s a world-class player in there, and any talk about him transferring out of the club this soon is frankly ridiculous.
He deserves some patience from the Liverpool fanbase. As for Salah? It’s beginning to run thin.
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