How hard it is to watch the decline of a great player. So, imagine living it… Mohamed Salah is like all the others who have been there before him, he does not accept being less decisive, less impactful, and therefore less essential in the eyes of his coach. He champed at the bit for three matches in a row on the sidelines, two of which without even coming into play. Then, he pulled out after the draw against Leeds (3-3). A player who has not set foot on the pitch who advances into the mixed zone is the assurance of media carnage. “He had never spoken for so long to the British written press in more than eight years of career at Liverpool”adds The Athletic.
The timing does not honor it
His flamethrower exit ignited the English press, Liverpool supporters, and probably the management of the Reds. For The Times, “Liverpool are too smart to keep Mo Salah: it’s time to sell him. The Egyptian’s calculated decision to undermine Arne Slot’s authority in the midst of a crisis, and his declining effectiveness in front of goal, makes the task easier for Liverpool’s owners.. Probably the opposite effect sought by Salah, who sees himself as the expiatory victim of a coach who has lost his locker room and all tactical coherence.
“As if the Premier League champions didn’t have enough problems after a poor result of just eight points from a possible last 30, a civil war now rages between one of the greatest players in the club’s illustrious history and a manager fighting to save his job after an alarming drop in results”exposed The Athleticwho severely tackles Salah by taxing him “Selfish and disrespectful. This only adds to the negativity weighing on the club at a difficult time. Given that he’s off to the Africa Cup of Nations next weekend, would it really have been so difficult to put on a brave face and put up with his situation until then rather than airing all his problems in public? »
It’s no longer the same Salah
Last season, Salah regularly stopped in front of the press to discuss his future, while the contract extension was slow to materialize. He put pressure on his management, taking advantage of his spectacular state of form and his incredible impact on the Reds’ season (34 goals and 23 assists). The board finally decided to extend it for two years, despite the player’s 33 years, put under pressure by the media hype and the desire of the supporters to enjoy a little more of his brilliant Egyptian. But since then, it’s another Salah that we see roaming the Anfield pitch (five goals and three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions). Without inspiration, without motivation, almost disconnected from his new partners, whom he seems not to want to discover.
“I have given so much to this club. I shouldn’t have to fight for my place every day, because I earned it.”Salah said after Leeds. But he should know that this is the harsh law of football, nothing is ever taken for granted, each season is a new story. “He was too often behind in matches. He was not very dangerous offensively and his opponents repeatedly exploited the space behind him, because he did not come down to support his right-back in defense.reminds The Athletic to prove Salah wrong. Who after having done everything to extend his contract now has a good chance of leaving Liverpool through the back door next January.
