Liverpool legend spots Arne Slot's 'biggest problem' as blunt Mohamed Salah point made

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Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has identified what he believes is Arne Slot's "biggest problem" with a blunt point made about the form of struggling talisman Mohamed Salah

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah during a training session.(Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Liverpool legend Steve Nicol says it is the right time to take Mohamed Salah out of the Reds' starting XI because of a lack of recent impact from the Egyptian.

However, he also believes the lack of an alternative to Liverpool's number 11 is a major issue for Arne Slot, with a lack of quality in wide areas seemingly something that needs to be addressed when the season ends and the summer transfer window opens.

"I think since he’s gotten back in the side, [Salah has] reached the stage where he has to take a seat again," Nicol said on ESPN FC ahead of Liverpool taking on Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend.

"Slot doesn’t have a lot of options. Who does he play? Jeremie Frimpong’s never been fit, so it’s not straightforward that he can just go straight in there.

"So now you’re talking about do you switch Cody Gakpo and play Rio Ngumoha [on the left], or do you just play Ngumoha over there [on the right]?

"Slot doesn’t really have a straightforward swap, a ‘well if he’s not doing it, I’ll play this guy’. That’s his biggest problem because he doesn’t have a real good option.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: BSR Agency/Getty Images)

"But, even saying that, because of what Mo Salah’s been producing, I think you take the chance and maybe try Ngumoha or Gakpo over there, or you play Federico Chiesa.

"I think he’s reached the stage now that regardless of who it is or what you do, it’s going to be more than what Mo’s actually giving to the team, because if he’s not scoring goals and he’s not creating, he’s not giving Liverpool anything else."

Salah has scored nine goals this season but his overall play has diminished substantially from last term. The 33-year-old doesn't have the searing pace to beat his man and create space for him to work in.

"I believe that a good individual performance comes from a good team performance," Slot said on Friday. "I think in the first 15, 20 minutes we were ‘at it’ or ‘on it’ [against Galatasaray], I don’t exactly know how you say this.

"Three or four moments where we should have scored and then there was a moment that completely changed the momentum of the game, conceding a set-piece. Not for the first time in this season, that changed the momentum of the game completely."

Liverpool.com says: Salah has become an issue but there is no solution. Playing Chiesa isn't going to add pace to the team and throwing in Ngumoha every week simply isn't going to happen.

At the end of the season, Liverpool will need to inject some more quality on the flanks. Not replacing Luis Diaz, when he moved to Bayern Munich, has proven to be a mistake.