If the 4-1 home defeat to PSV in the Champions League was the moment manager Arne Slott decided enough was enough and had to let Mohamed Salah go, the turning point may have been October’s narrow loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Marc Cucurella’s on-pitch explanation of Chelsea’s winner that day highlighted the weakness his team were trying to exploit against Liverpool. The full-back was allowed to advance into the box without a track to lie in front of Estevao’s goal.
He told Sky Sports: “We know that Salah is already ready to attack, ready to attack on the counter-attack. So we know, we’ve been practicing and the manager has told us that there might be space,” adding: “Today it worked and we can win the game in this way.”
In each of Liverpool’s next four Premier League defeats, the opponents concentrated their attacks on the left flank, meaning Liverpool’s right flank. When Jamie Carragher talks about Salah throwing the right-back under the bus, this is what he means.
Manchester United attacked Mohamed Salah’s side even more during their win over Liverpool
Brentford attacked Mohamed Salah’s side even more during their win over Liverpool
Manchester City attacked Mohamed Salah’s side even more during their win over Liverpool
Nottingham Forest further attacked Mohamed Salah’s side during their win over Liverpool
Salah’s defense has never been his greatest strength. Jurgen Klopp frequently used Jordan Henderson to ensure that Liverpool’s structure remained sound on that side of the pitch. However, statistics show that Salah’s own defensive work has decreased dramatically since Klopp left.
It was a trade-off under Slott’s regime, a deal Salah hinted he had struck with his coach while leading Liverpool to the title last season. The Egyptian player avoided defensive duties, but rewarded the privilege by achieving goals and assists in the opposing team.
“Now I don’t have to defend so much. It’s very difficult to say one thing, but the tactics are completely different. But I said to him, ‘If you give me a break defensively, I’ll contribute offensively.’ So I’m glad I did that. Of course it was the manager’s idea, but he listens well.”
Salah may talk about broken promises, but perhaps Slott believes it was the player who failed to keep his end of the bargain. His six goals without a penalty in his last 33 games for Liverpool speak for themselves. Salah’s achievements no longer justify the problems he causes.
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Jamie Carragher has given his thoughts on Mohamed Salah’s outburst after being re-substituted on the bench against Leeds in the draw with Liverpool.
Against PSV, Mauro Junior leapt past Salah with just a drop of his shoulder to score the goal that restored the Dutch team’s lead at Anfield. “Salah was embarrassed in the sense of a challenge,” Carragher said.
The gap the PSV player was able to widen to provide the assist was astonishing and highlighted that Salah has no intention of turning back. This decline is also evident in the statistics, with his defensive work at Liverpool steadily decreasing over the years.
To some extent, that’s inevitable. At the age of 34, it is inevitable that Salah’s physical strength will decline. This is also reflected in his attack numbers. His overall sprint has decreased, and so has his top speed. Maybe he can’t take that shift anymore even if he wanted to.
But it helps explain why Slott chose to remove players with defensive responsibilities in a desperate effort to regain control of the defense. Salah’s poor contribution is further illustrated by how rarely he returns to his position at Liverpool.
This metric measures the number of times a player returns to his own half to regain a defensive position. Of the 45 wide forwards who have played at least 270 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, Salah has played fewer minutes than any other.
In this context, Mr. Slott’s decision to tighten appears logical. Regarding Slott’s team selection at West Ham, Carragher said: “What are you going to do as a manager? You’re going to take out the one player in the team who doesn’t defend.”
It also explains why Salah was not used as a substitute in the 2-0 win at the London Stadium and more recently in the away game at Leeds, where Liverpool held the lead. “Why would you use him? We don’t need goals, we don’t need to concede.”
Statistically, it is possible to compare the strength of Liverpool’s defense with and without Salah, and the evidence is convincing. By separating the zones of the pitch, it is possible to establish how often Liverpool will press the opponent when they have the ball there.
On Liverpool’s right flank, when they are in the defensive third, they press even harder when Salah is not on the pitch. The glaring weaknesses that Cucurella pointed out and that every team has targeted since have become less obvious.
Of course, that didn’t stop Leeds from scoring an equalizer in stoppage time. There were other issues for Slott to address at Liverpool, and his failure to do so prompted Salah to make inflammatory comments, believing that his position as manager had been weakened.
But analysis suggests that unless Salah can repeat the attacking numbers that have made him a Liverpool legend, the fact that he has been given defensive responsibilities will hurt hopes of being trusted again, almost as much as his outspoken comments.
