Jamie Carragher fires warning to Arne Slot over Mo Salah’s Liverpool struggles – ‘Has to stop’

Mohamed Salah enjoyed one of the best campaigns of his career as Liverpool won the Premier League last season but things haven’t been quite as easy this time around

Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has warned manager Arne Slot that he needs to stop selecting Mohamed Salah if the Egyptian’s struggles continue. Salah top-scored in the Premier League last season but has just four goals in 11 outings this term.

All 11 of those matches have been starts, and Salah has completed the full 90 minutes more often than not. He has started just two of the Reds’ four Champions League games, scoring against Atletico Madrid but drawing a blank against the competition’s other Madrid club, Real.

Salah is due to miss matches in December and January, with his Egypt team among the favourites for the Africa Cup of Nations. Slot will need to find a way to win without the forward during that period, but Carragher believes the time to shuffle the pack could be even sooner.

“If you’re not scoring the goals at one end and you’re leaving your team your exposed at the other you’re basically getting nothing from this tactical ploy of allowing Mo Salah just to stay up top,” Carragher said on The Overlap. “So he’s either got to come back [defensively] or you’ve got to play someone else.

“That’s why I said a few weeks ago the days of Mo Salah starting every week especially away from home, have to stop.” Fellow pundit Wayne Rooney expressed concerns of his own, meanwhile, suggesting opponents have targeted Liverpool down the right with an expectation Salah’s lack of tracking back could leave the right-back isolated – whether that’s Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong or someone else.

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Carragher’s comments come after another ex-Red, Steve Nicol, made his own argument for Slot to drop Salah. “You have to try and figure a way out to get him back to somewhere near his best. And so far, playing him and playing him and playing him isn’t working,” Nicol told ESPN FC

“I got excited when he scored a couple of goals in a couple of games [against Brentford and Aston Villa], but his overall performance hasn’t really changed much other than those two goals. Now the only other thing you can do is sit him on the bench. Sit down, have a look, maybe a different perspective.

“Then play him the next game and let’s see if there’s any sort of reaction because unfortunately he’s reached the stage now where the team can’t carry him anymore. Simple as that.”

Liverpool return to action after the international break with a home match against Nottingham Forest on November 22. A Champions League meeting with PSV Eindhoven comes just four days later, and they will round off the month away to West Ham.

Salah is currently away with his national team for the Al-Ain International Cup. The friendly tournament sees Egypt pitted against fellow World Cup qualifiers Cape Verde, Iran and Uzbekistan.

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