Carragher Critiques Salah Amidst Liverpool’s Struggles

A year ago, Jamie Carragher referred to Mohamed Salah as “selfish” for publicly voicing his disappointment over Liverpool’s failure to offer him a new contract.

On Sky Sports, Carragher stated, “The most important thing for Liverpool this season is not the future of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, or Trent Alexander-Arnold. The primary focus must be on Liverpool winning the Premier League. That is far more significant than any of those players. If Salah continues to make comments or if his agent continues to post cryptic tweets, that’s selfish; it’s prioritizing personal interests over the club’s well-being.”

In response, the Egyptian international defended himself, but their feud subsided once Salah signed a two-year contract with Liverpool. Currently, in light of Liverpool’s disappointing 12th place in the Premier League and a streak of six losses in their last seven matches, Carragher has once again targeted Salah for criticism.

Salah, like Liverpool, has struggled to find his form this season. After an impressive tally of 34 goals last season, he has managed only five in 17 matches so far. Following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, captain Virgil van Dijk emphasized that “everyone has to take responsibility” for the team’s current predicament and urged his teammates to work together to improve their situation. Carragher has echoed this sentiment, calling on Salah to step up as a leader.

Before Manchester United’s recent loss to Everton, Carragher remarked on Monday Night Football: “After the game, Virgil van Dijk spoke out, as any good captain should, calling Liverpool a mess. However, it is primarily Van Dijk who addresses the media after these defeats. There should be other players stepping forward to represent the club as well. A year ago, Salah didn’t hesitate to express his own concerns regarding his contract situation. Yet, I only hear him comment when he wins Man of the Match or is negotiating a new deal. I would like to see Mo Salah emerge as a leader, as one of Liverpool’s legends, and speak on behalf of the team. While the manager is certainly in the hot seat, any manager with results like these would be under scrutiny, especially given Liverpool’s recent championship status and the significant investments made during the summer.”

Despite Liverpool’s disappointing results and the over £400 million spent on new players, manager Arne Slot remains resolute heading into a crucial period of fixtures. He expressed optimism that a “solution” to the team’s struggles might be within reach.

When questioned about the players’ confidence levels, Slot responded: “I don’t perceive a lack of confidence, nor do I see it in the team. After we went 1-0 down, I tried to motivate them and provide guidance to start the second half positively. However, we quickly found ourselves 2-0 down. The players continued to put in effort, and I can’t fault them for that. They blocked every shot we attempted. The solution is within grasp; we’ve created opportunities in every match. It’s not as if we’ve given away ten chances. This trend won’t last forever, but we need to examine ourselves and identify areas for improvement when conceding goals. In the last two games, we haven’t scored.”

Liverpool will aim to recover from the defeat against Forest when they take on PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday at Anfield. The Reds have experienced more success in European competition this season, making this match an ideal opportunity to reignite their campaign. Following this fixture, they will face West Ham, Sunderland, Leeds United, and Inter Milan within a condensed ten-day timeframe.