Time to talk about Mo: Liverpool striker deserves respect but faces harsh new reality

Is it time catching up on Mo Salah at the age of 33? Or does Liverpool’s new-look side no longer play to his strengths?

MISFIRING MO: Liverpool's usually deadly Mohamed Salah has been struggling to get his radar co-ordinates aligned in recent times, with some Anfield commentators now suggesting he is no longer a guaranteed starter for Arne Slot. Pic: Michael Regan/Getty Images

As the fallout from Liverpool’s defeat against Manchester United tumbles right across social media and into every corner of the internet, the big question that repeatedly comes up is: do we need to talk about Mo Salah?

The Liverpool legend hit a career high last season when, having ended 12 months of transfer speculation by signing a new contract in April, he produced a record-breaking season to help his team lift the Premier League trophy (as well as the Premier League Player of the Season award, and the Golden Boot).

His performances during the campaign were of such a remarkable level that they took his reputation into uncharted territory; not surprising when you consider he has scored 248 goals and provided 116 assists in 411 appearances for the club he joined back in 2017.

Any discussion about his current form, as Liverpool reel from four defeats in a row, should be held with that legacy constantly in the background; it simply wouldn’t be fair to do anything else.

But Salah’s slow start to the season, and his stuttering and ineffectual performance against United, have inevitably kick-started a discussion around his loss of form and the reasons for it.

Brutal statistics from Sky Sports highlighted his decline this season compared to the incredible heights of last year.

The Egyptian had only two Premier League goals and three big chances in the previous six games going into the match against United at Anfield and all of the forward’s stats were significantly down on last season. Fewer shots per 90 minutes (1.7 compared to 3.5 the previous year); fewer chances created (1.7 compared to 2.4); fewer goal involvements (0.6 compared to 1.3). He ended the fixture by being substituted after 86 minutes, just when Liverpool needed a late equaliser, and having fluffed his biggest chance of the game (which came when he was unmarked and alone at the far post with the ball on his left foot).

The way the Egyptian sliced that ball badly wide, almost in a panic, summed up where he is at in Liverpool’s new-look attack; and it’s a worry.

So, in answer to the question being asked by Liverpool’s fans right across the globe, we should say, with respect: Yes, it’s time to talk about Mo.

Even some of Liverpool’s biggest legends have not shied away from doing so. Jamie Carragher, for instance, dared to ask whether the Egyptian’s performance level show that age is catching up on him.

Then, in an appearance on The Gary Neville Podcast, he went further by adding: “I think that we’re at the stage now where Mo Salah shouldn’t be a guaranteed starter every week.” Who would have thought we’d ever hear that so soon after Liverpool’s biggest hero lifted silverware last season?

It’s worth saying that Salah is not alone in terms of a slow start to the season. Record signing Alexander Isak has looked well off the pace, Milos Kerkez has had a difficult start to his career at Anfield and, in fact, the entire defence has been shaky. That even includes Virgil van Dijk who was well below par against United on a day when his centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate finally found form after being pretty dismal in the opening fixtures of the new season.

But it is Salah’s assists and goals which are really being missed at a time when Liverpool are fourth in the Premier League table, four points adrift of leaders Arsenal. He’s had barren spells before, of course, but this feels different. Is it time catching up on him at the age of 33? Or does Liverpool’s new-look side no longer play to his strengths?

That’s something that Arne Slot will be analysing closely but it doesn’t take in-depth statistics to know when a player is off form. Just watching Salah close up is enough to surmise that he has been less influential, less dynamic and less productive this season – which is a surprise for a player who has a habit of starting campaigns faster than his rivals.

He had hit five at this stage last season, including three in the opening three matches of the campaign, and seven the year before in 2023-24.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp, Carragher’s fellow pundit on Sky, was not afraid to say the unthinkable, either. “He’s got to be a lot sharper and a lot more aggressive in the box. He’s not been himself,” he said. “People say he’s missing Trent Alexander-Arnold but you have to look after yourself. He’s not done enough, he hasn’t helped the team enough. He has to do a lot more.” 

A statistic from Who Scored yesterday suggested that no player in the Premier League has a worse dribble success rate than Salah – 10% from 10 attempted dribbles so far – and the Egyptian cut a frustrated figure on so many occasions against United as his touch and finishing appeared to desert him. An even cheekier post from Betfair’s account then entertained Red Devils fans by confirming that Harry Maguire has scored as many Premier League goals at Anfield this season as Salah, Florian Wirtz and Isak combined.

It is inevitable, of course, that Salah’s reported demise will entertain some and frighten others, but the level of debate suggests it is a topic that is worthy of discussion, even for a player with such legendary status.

Liverpool face Frankfurt away in the Champions League on Wednesday and Brentford in west London on Saturday - and so Slot has a lot to think about.

Can he afford to keep playing his talisman superstar every game when he isn’t delivering? But can he afford to leave him out when Liverpool need him so badly?

The same conundrum applies when mulling over whether to stick with Isak and Florian Wirtz, of course, but the Mo decision feels like the big one.

Whatever Slot chooses, Salah deserves our ongoing respect and will surely play a major role in the season regardless. But Liverpool have to do something right now – and sometimes the unthinkable is the only thing left.