12 hours ago
22
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has struggled for form in the early parts of the new season, but he took a step in the right direction on Wednesday by helping Egypt secure its place at the World Cup.
Salah scored twice for his country in a 3-0 win over Djibouti - but also made headlines after shoving an opponent. That victory ensured that Egypt will be present at next summer's tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico.
However, things have not been plain sailing for Salah in the opening few weeks of the 2025/26 campaign. He has scored three times for Liverpool but two of those goals came from the penalty spot.
Now, Troy Deeney has offered a blunt take on Salah's performance against Chelsea last weekend while speaking on The Football Exchange podcast: "The same as he’s done all season. Terrible."
He continued: "But still, and remember, every time I’ve said he’s been terrible, everyone in the comments has been coming for me [saying] that I don’t like Mo Salah and I have an agenda. No, but he has been terrible. Terrible."
Salah has not settled into his groove this season but there have been plenty of changes around him. He is still getting used to playing alongside Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, for instance, and without Trent Alexander-Arnold.
"He's still playing in the same position, but he just seems to be making the wrong decisions more often than not," Paul Scholes, the former Manchester United midfielder, said on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast this week.
"There's a couple of times, if you remember last year, look, he scored loads of goals, but a lot of the time he cutting in from that right hand side, his left foot, and he's playing some great balls into people to just tap in.
"There was a couple of instances on Saturday. He's cutting inside. He's ballooning the ball over the bar."
Salah scored 34 goals for Liverpool last season and penned a new two-year deal towards the end of the season. His lack of form at the start of this season even saw Wayne Rooney question his work ethic.
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"Top players have an ego, and Mo Salah has been one of the best players in the league for a long, long time," Rooney said. "I think the last week has shown that when it's gone well, you're scoring goals and you're winning games, it's great and the team will put up with that, but over the last week, I'd question his work ethic.
"I know he doesn't always get back and defend as much, but in the Chelsea game, his full-back is getting torn apart, and he's [there] watching. Players like [Virgil] Van Dijk and Alisson, who I know wasn't playing, but the leaders in the dressing room should be telling him; 'You need to help it'.
"For me, that was a worry. He has looked a little bit lost the past week, in my opinion."
Liverpool.com says: Salah being lazy is an insane takeaway from the start of this season. He isn't scoring goals but that will return again. His brace for Egypt can only be a good thing for his confidence.
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