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The recent critique of Mohamed Salah by notable pundits such as Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes has been deemed excessive, according to Salah's former Egypt colleague, Mohamed Zidan, who has fervently defended the Liverpool star.
This season, Salah hasn't quite lived up to his usual stellar performance, netting five goals and providing three assists in 14 matches across all competitions. His relative dip in form has coincided with a slump for Liverpool, with Arne Slot's players suffering six losses in seven games prior to their 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.
Rooney cast doubt on Salah's commitment following Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the beginning of October. Similarly, fellow Manchester United legend Scholes criticised Salah for delivering "some of the worst stuff" he'd seen from him recently.
Salah has found the back of the net in his last two outings for the Reds and will be crucial to Liverpool's hopes of overcoming Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Former Borussia Dortmund player Zidan, who shared the international stage with Salah, believes the criticism levelled at him has been overly severe.
"I see an exaggerated reaction from the English media in their criticism of Salah," Zidan told Al Arabiya. "Everyone knows what he has done over the past years.
"He will always be a source of pride for Liverpool fans and Egyptians with all his achievements.
"The amount of criticism he's getting in England right now is neither normal nor logical. After all the numbers and performances he has produced, it's not fair at all.
"You can't sum up Liverpool's problems in Salah alone. The entire team hasn't been performing well recently, and it's not just Salah whose form has dipped. It's unfair to put all the blame on him."
Salah hit his 250th goal for Liverpool with his strike against Villa and continues to be the standout figure in Slot's squad.
Despite the Reds splashing out around $600 million on fresh talent over the summer, Salah still carries the heaviest attacking responsibilities.
"Holding Salah solely responsible is unfair, but it's also part of the burden that comes with being a player of his stature," Zidan added. "In my opinion, Salah has a very strong personality that allows him to handle pressure.
"He has faced tougher periods before, during his peak years breaking records, and he still managed to stay focused.
"The issue is not about Salah individually; it's about the team as a whole. Liverpool are not at their best collectively, and naturally, Salah is affected like the rest of his teammates."
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