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It's been a tough few weeks for Liverpool and Mohamed Salah, with the latter appearing a shadow of the player who led the Reds to the Premier League title in Arne Slot's debut season.
Salah has only found the back of the net twice in the Reds' last seven matches, six of which have resulted in defeat. With Liverpool now in a state of crisis, the Egyptian international has been singled out by Anfield favorite Jamie Carragher as pressure mounts on everyone at the club.
Following Liverpool's most recent loss, a crushing 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, it was Virgil van Dijk who stepped up to the plate. However, Carragher believes others should be taking responsibility rather than the Reds captain, with Salah being particularly questioned by the Sky Sports pundit.
This isn't the first time Carragher has slammed Salah, including last year when he discussed his contract situation. The pundit has even had a go at his agent...
Agent anger
Back in the summer of 2022, Carragher expressed his frustration at Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, on social media amid rumours about the forward's future. At that time, there were whispers that Salah would not be offered the new contract that Liverpool supporters were eagerly awaiting. And Abbas Issa's posts on X seemed to be fanning the flames in Carragher's opinion.
"All Reds love your client, and if he is to leave next summer we will wish him well & say a big thank you," Carragher wrote. "But we can do without this cryptic crap for the next 12 months! @MoSalah have a word!!"
Not long afterwards, it was announced Salah had put pen to paper on a fresh three-year deal, with Carragher joking he and the player's representative had "fooled them all."
Bombshell interview
Two years after his clash with Salah's agent, an incendiary mixed zone interview from the forward, revealing he hadn't been presented with a new contract, didn't go down well with Carragher.
He said: "Of course, there’s been discussions, yeah. Right now, there’s obviously a big difference in the valuation. Whatever Mo Salah and his agent value themselves at, whether that be financially or in terms of length of contract, and what Liverpool do.
"So the reason Liverpool wouldn’t have offered a contract yet is because Mo Salah will turn it down. So they're still in talks, I’m desperate for them to meet in the middle.
"But I must say, I am very disappointed with Mo Salah. That interview last night after the game, when it comes out. Liverpool have got Real Madrid midweek, and they’ve got Manchester City at the weekend. That’s the story for Liverpool right now."
Carragher's tirade ended with the pundit once more accusing his agent of posting cryptic tweets, which Salah responded to with a barb of his own shortly afterwards during a Sky interview, claiming the ex-defender wouldn't give him the Man of the Match award after a game. When Carragher again spoke about Salah's contract situation at the beginning of 2025, the player wrote on X: "I'm starting to think you're obsessed with me."
Salah's silence
On this occasion, there is no contract dispute; Salah was handed a new deal toward the tail end of last season as recognition for his outstanding performances, but has struggled to make an impact during the current campaign. He is far from the only player underperforming in a Liverpool side that appears to have regressed despite considerable investment in the transfer window over the summer.
However, Carragher has raised concerns about why Van Dijk is the sole voice speaking publicly at present and believes Salah needs to be more vocal, suggesting the forward only addresses the media "when he gets man of the match or needs a new contract."
Carragher said on Monday Night Football: "I don't know [what's gone wrong]. Nobody knows. The manager sees the players every day, and he can't quite fix it at the moment. We are talking about a manager who has won the Premier League.
"I think Virgil van Dijk, after the game, has come out again and spoke as he should do as the captain and called Liverpool a mess. I must say, on the back of all these Liverpool defeats, it's always Van Dijk who comes out. And as I have said, the captain should do that, but there should be other players in that dressing room coming out and speaking for the club.
"A year ago this weekend, Mo Salah wasn't shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract. I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match, or he needs a new contract. I would like to see Salah come out as one of the leaders, one the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain."
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