Peter Crouch notices worrying Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike issue at Liverpool

Liverpool's attack has not clicked into gear often this season, with Peter Crouch spotting a worrying sign about Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah so far under Arne Slot

TNT Sports pundit Peter Crouch.(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is expecting the Reds to find a way past Galatasaray in the Champions League this week, but he has spotted a worrying sign from Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, both Salah and Ekitike are likely to start at Anfield on Wednesday as Liverpool looks to turn things around and book a place in the quarter-finals, where either PSG or Chelsea would await. The French giant has a 5-2 lead ahead of the second leg of that tie on Tuesday.

"It could have been worse in the first leg," Crouch told Paddy Power. "Liverpool were poor again and I think they’ve been pretty poor all season. They've had a little spell where they've picked up a little bit.

"Salah has been really disappointing considering his performances last year. Ekitike is kind of a hit, but him and Salah haven't connected in any type of way.

"Galatasaray were good for their win, and they deserved it. But I wouldn’t write Liverpool off in the second leg.

"Certainly at Anfield, they’ve done it before. It’s a difficult place to go [Galatasaray], but I think they'll be able to get that tie done in the second leg."

Liverpool forwards Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah.(Image: Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

While this season has been difficult for Liverpool, many of the tools required to improve under Arne Slot are there. The players signed last summer are all good additions, but they just haven't gelled together yet.

"The players are there," Crouch continued. "[Ryan] Gravenberch, [Alexis] Mac Allister, [Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Florian] Wirtz... these are good players.

"There’s been a little bit of uncertainty, I suppose. I think when you suddenly lose the full-backs, their form dropped.

"[Alexander] Isak’s been injured, Wirtz took time to settle, there is definitely a transitional period. But I look around the team and they've got some really good players.

"I wouldn't make wholesale changes, but I think changes to the mentality are needed.

"They’ve needed a center-half alongside Virgil van Dijk for a long time, they're still relying on [Joe] Gomez at times at right-back. There's more than enough quality there to get through the Champions League games."

Liverpool.com says: Ekitike hasn't been as good in recent weeks, probably due to being overplayed in the absence of Isak. Salah, meanwhile, has been really struggling for a long while.

They haven't connected as well as they might have, but Wirtz has often been a connector. The forming of new relationships has taken much longer than anticipated.