Jamie Redknapp believes “something needs to give” between Mohamed Salah and Liverpool manager Arn Slott after the Spaniard was left on the bench for the second consecutive game during the 1-1 draw with Sunderland.
Slott opted to leave Salah out of his starting line-up for Sunday’s game against West Ham, but despite suggesting last weekend that rotation was the reason for Salah’s omission, the manager left his star forward out again at Anfield.
It was a dramatic turn in fortunes for Salah, who had started 53 games in a row before being sidelined at the London Stadium, and Redknapp believes this could be the beginning of the end for the 33-year-old on Merseyside.
“I’m not going to compare it to when Alan Shearer was taken out by Ruud Gullit all those years ago and it was a huge clash where one of us had to go in the end, but I feel something has to give,” Redknapp said of Salah’s absence after the game.
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Arne Slott has explained his decision to keep Mohamed Salah out of the game against Sunderland.
“There’s no way Mohamed Salah would be satisfied with playing a bit part in this team.
“I think if he finds the right club, whether it’s in January or the summer, he has the right to move if things don’t go his way.
“I can only see the result. He needs trust and love from the manager, especially now that he has lost trust with a player like Salah.”
Salah was brought on at half-time as Liverpool tried to find a way out, but struggled to make much of an impact.
“I don’t think it’s going to end well either way,” Redknapp added.
“Salah will be watching this game thinking, ‘I’m an elite player, there’s no way I want to sit on the bench at Liverpool.’
“For the manager to take him out in a situation where he could lose him for eight games in the AFCON, he has to play him as much as possible.
Salah struggled to make an impact off the bench
“He’s their superstar football player, but he (Slot) obviously doesn’t believe in that right now. He didn’t come out and make the impact that Liverpool fans wanted. It was a really difficult night for him.”
“He wants to be the reason Liverpool win.”
Salah’s downturn in form comes after he put pen to paper for a new multi-year deal at the end of last season, following months of speculation.
Nevertheless, his difficulties this season have led some to speculate that his time at the club may end in the coming months. But former teammate Daniel Sturridge doesn’t think things have reached that stage.
“We talk about statistics and numbers. That’s what he’s known for. Has he achieved them this season? No, he hasn’t. But no one else has achieved either,” Sturridge insisted.
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Liverpool manager Arne Slott reflects on recent form and criticism of performance
“He wants to be the reason the team wins. Attackers are usually driven that way.
“Mo has done that since he joined the football club. This is the first season where I have doubts about him. I’m not sure if Mohamed Salah is the reason why Liverpool can’t win.
“He was the reason the team won the league last season and with a guy of his quality you can see that hurting him.
“There comes a point in every player’s career when the manager or owner has to make a decision. I don’t think we’re at this stage now. I think the club can turn things around in terms of performance, and I think Salah can turn them around too.”
“This was not a rotation. Salah was left out.”
Mohamed Salah speaks with Milos Kerkes on the Liverpool bench before kick-off
Jamie Carragher criticized Liverpool’s performance in his co-commentary during the match, but made it clear before the match that the decision to leave Salah out was no longer due to Slot feeling the need to rest his star man.
“I expected Mo Salah to play today,” Carragher said.
“Arne Slott will be able to dress up the weekend because Liverpool have four games in 10 days and they will have to consider which games they will play him in.
Jamie Carragher believes Salah’s absence could be a sign that Liverpool are moving away from the forward.
“I expected this to be a game that Salah would play because Sunderland are going to play deep and make it difficult. It doesn’t feel like a rest or a rotation with him on the bench, he’s been taken off.”
“I’ve said this season that I don’t think Mo Salah should play every game, but then I was thinking only about away games. I haven’t thought much about it at Anfield. I’m surprised.”
“Sooner or later, Liverpool have to pivot from a team of Salah to a team of Wirtz and Isak. Maybe we’ve seen a glimpse of that.”
Analyzing Salah’s struggles – is it him or the team?
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Callum Bishop:
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Mohamed Salah and Liverpool’s plans aren’t going to work this season. But who is responsible?
After 14 Premier League games last season, the Egyptian scored 13 goals, nine more than his current total. He also recorded 8 assists, compared to 2 this season.
If we then compare the numbers for Liverpool as a whole, their xG has decreased from 29.16 to 22.53. This downward trajectory is also consistent with Salah’s trajectory (10.49 to 3.50).
What’s interesting about both, however, is how the metrics created by the opportunities stack up. After 14 games in 2024/25, Liverpool have created 170 chances. After one year, they are almost the same at 168. Salah personally is also at about the same level, between 28 and 26.
What seems to be happening is that the arrival of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike prevents Salah from getting into many goal-scoring positions that he could benefit from, and at the same time he is perhaps struggling to adapt to more creative threats than before.
This is a true mesh of styles where it looks like only one of Salah or Slott can make it to the top. Time will tell who it is.
Watch Liverpool take on Leeds United live on Sky Sports on Saturday, kick-off at 5.30pm.
Saturday, December 6th 5pm
5:30pm kickoff
