1 day ago
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Arne Slot has been advised to consider leaving Mohamed Salah out of Liverpool's starting XI.
The calls follow the Egyptian star's own admission that he's finding it difficult to develop on-field chemistry with Hugo Ekitike. Salah's form has been underwhelming so far this season, producing only five shots and a single goal in four games.
Critics, including ex-Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann, have begun to question whether the 33-year-old is finally feeling the effects of age. Hamann drew attention to Salah's ineffective performance in the narrow 1-0 victory against Arsenal, where his usually sharp control failed him during decisive moments.
"Is age catching up with Mohamed Salah? Well, it was always going to happen," Hamann told Adventure Gamers. "He's 33 now, and for a forward player, you lose half a yard of pace, which makes all the difference. So it was always going to happen that he wouldn't score as many goals as last season, especially as he found it hard to score from open play in the second half of last season."
Despite his concerns, Hamann stopped short of dismissing Salah's importance. The former German international, part of Liverpool's 2005 Champions League–winning side, still regards him as a dangerous attacker capable of deciding matches on his own.
"I still think he's a threat and deserves his place, though there might be times when someone else has to play," he added. "Against Arsenal, his touch let him down in a few situations. This rarely happens, and it might have been because he wasn't as involved in the game as usual. When you're in the game, you make good decisions."
Hamann went on to suggest that Salah's limited involvement may have forced him to overcompensate, trying to deliver something extraordinary in the few chances he had. "If he didn't feel involved, he probably felt he had to do something special because he might not get another chance," Hamann explained.
"So, I wouldn't read too much into it, it's natural. He will still score goals. We'll have to take it week by week, but he's rarely injured. I think his touch was the only thing that let him down."
These remarks come during a period of significant transition for Liverpool, which has undergone sweeping changes under Slot over the summer. The club invested more than $600 million in reinforcements, securing Ekitike for $93M (£69M), while breaking the British transfer record twice with the signings of Florian Wirtz ($156M/£116M) and Alexander Isak ($168M/£125M).
Despite opening its Premier League campaign with three straight wins, performances have been far from dominant. Late goals were required to overcome Bournemouth and Newcastle, while against Arsenal, Dominik Szoboszlai's spectacular free kick proved decisive in a gritty win.
Ekitike, 23, has made an encouraging start, scoring in his first two league games as well as the Community Shield. Still, Salah admitted their partnership isn't fluid yet. He contrasted the current situation with the smooth understanding he previously had with team-mates like Darwin Nunez, Luis Díaz, and the late Diogo Jota.
"So far I didn't figure the connections out yet," Salah said on the Men In Blazers podcast. "Like with Darwin or Lucho [Luis Diaz] or the guys they used to play in front, or Diogo. I knew where to start with Diogo or Darwin. I know where to find them. I knew their game very well but with Hugo he's still new."
Salah stressed that work is being done in training and through video analysis to iron out the issues. "Sometimes I need the ball in the field. Sometimes we need [it] in the space," he continued. "We try to figure that out, through the training sessions or like the videos. The manager shows us. So I will figure it out soon because also it's going to help my game to grow as well."
His comments underline the adjustment period in Liverpool's retooled attack. Ekitike was signed to add fresh energy, but the lack of immediate chemistry with Salah - Liverpool's attacking talisman for nearly a decade - could explain some of the early-season inconsistencies, and with Isak now also in the mix, the process of building fluency could take more time than anticipated.
Hamann's recommendation that Salah be rested occasionally fits neatly with these challenges. If his pace is indeed slowing and partnerships with newcomers are not yet fluid, Slot may need to rotate his squad more boldly.
He has already proven flexible, shifting Szoboszlai to right back with Jeremie Frimpong unavailable - a move that worked impressively. And with 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Newcastle to become Liverpool's youngest scorer, pushing for opportunities, plus Isak's arrival deepening the squad, Slot has plenty of options.
The key will be balance: get it right, and Liverpool stay ahead of the pack, but misstep, and the door swings open for their title rivals.
Choosing to rest Salah, even temporarily, would be a bold move. After all, the Egyptian has been virtually ever-present and injury-free throughout his Anfield tenure. But, as Hamann points out, no player is immune to the ravages of time.
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