Carragher Critiques Salah’s Leadership Amid Liverpool’s Struggles

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

In a discussion 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 priority is Liverpool winning the Premier League. That is more crucial than any individual player. If Salah continues to make comments or if his agent posts cryptic tweets, that is self-centered and prioritizes personal issues over the club’s interests.”

Following this, Salah countered Carragher’s remarks, but their feud subsided once he signed a two-year contract at Anfield. However, recent developments have reignited Carragher’s criticism, especially after Liverpool’s drop to 12th place in the Premier League, having lost six of their last seven league matches.

Salah, much like Liverpool, has had a disappointing season thus far. After scoring 34 goals last season, he has managed only five goals in 17 appearances this term. Following a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, captain Virgil van Dijk emphasized that “everyone must take responsibility” for the team’s current predicament and encouraged his teammates to help lift the club out of this challenging situation. Carragher echoed this sentiment, urging Salah to take on a more vocal leadership role.

On Monday Night Football, ahead of Manchester United’s loss to Everton, Carragher remarked, “Virgil van Dijk has consistently spoken out about our struggles, which is commendable for a captain. However, there should be other players, including Salah, stepping up as leaders. A year ago, Salah was vocal about his contract situation; now, I only hear him speak when he is awarded Man of the Match or is negotiating a new deal. I’d like to see him act as a leader for the team. The manager is under pressure due to the team’s poor performance, and it’s vital that key players, like Salah, also take responsibility.”

Despite Liverpool’s disappointing results and the significant investment made this summer exceeding £400 million, manager Arne Slot remains optimistic about finding solutions. He stated, “I do not perceive a lack of confidence among the players. After we went down 1-0, I tried to motivate them; however, we quickly found ourselves 2-0 down. They kept pushing, and I cannot fault their effort. The solution is not far off, as we continue to create chances, and it is not like we are conceding excessive opportunities. We must reflect on our performance and improve upon conceding goals. We have yet to score in the last two matches.”

Liverpool will aim to recover from their loss to Nottingham Forest when they face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday at Anfield. Given their better form in European competitions this season, this match could serve as a crucial turning point for the Reds. Following this clash, they will face West Ham, Sunderland, Leeds United, and Inter Milan within a span of ten days.