Liverpool should let go of Salah!

For Liverpool, Mohamed Salah is a legend. However, age may have finally caught up with Salah. It might be time for coach Arne Slot to seriously consider moving him to the bench and plan a gentle and respectful farewell in the future.

In the recent match against MU, Salah missed several clear chances and was substituted off in the 85th minute. Overall, Salah was unable to make an impact against the quick pressing from Dalot and the solid defensive support from the opposition. Even when shooting, Salah’s feet seemed unresponsive. Since the start of the 2025/26 season, Salah has shown a completely different image compared to last season — when he scored a total of 34 goals for Liverpool (including 29 in the Premier League to win the Golden Boot), not to mention 23 direct assists for teammates.

Last season and this season for Salah are two contrasting stories that have fans questioning why this is happening. Up to this point in the 2025/26 season, the most common image of Salah is one of sluggishness, poor maneuvering, indecisive finishing, less interaction with teammates, and almost no defensive contribution.

Defensively, Salah is the weakest link in Liverpool’s playstyle. He asked Slot not to participate in defense to "save energy" for attacking. In Slot’s first season (2024/25), as we noted, Salah was still very effective. That request was reasonable though not perfect. But in 2025/26, Salah’s poor attacking has put heavy pressure on the defense, especially since Frimpong has never been strong offensively and Slot hasn’t had a quality right-back since Trent left.

On live TV, former defender Jamie Carragher pointed out that the problem is not just finishing but also defensive support — a weakness that Slot’s current tactics can no longer hide or try to compensate for when helping Salah. As Carragher admitted, Slot now needs to be realistic, cold, and decisive: "I admire Salah, but currently, he no longer has the stamina to play as a true winger with the extraordinary attacking ability he once had.

We praised Slot last season for giving Salah freedom of movement. But this season, if Salah doesn’t help defensively and fails to make a difference with the ball, Liverpool loses too much. I believe Slot has noticed this. The question is how he will respond."

Carragher emphasized that Liverpool’s squad should be built around two young, expensive newcomers: Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz. Compared to Salah, who is now 33, these two players fit better with Slot’s long-term vision. The former Liverpool member described the rotation strategy as reasonable but said patience is required instead of expecting immediate brilliance from Wirtz and Isak: “Salah should still start at Anfield — where Liverpool usually dominates and creates many chances near the goal. But Salah needs to gradually get used to the bench; this is a reality he himself must accept. Age spares no one, and a proper role will still allow Salah to contribute to Liverpool rather than be discarded. Of course, Slot must adjust gradually. I think he has plans for Wirtz and Isak. In a league like the Premier League and at Liverpool, it’s not easy to make an immediate impact. Isak’s challenge is that he didn’t have much preparation time and had to play immediately at a club, making adaptation difficult. Slot will need to work more with both Wirtz and Isak.”

According to Carragher’s suggestion, the right-wing position currently has a ready replacement for Mohamed Salah. That is newcomer Jeremie Frimpong — who joined Anfield from Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 for a transfer fee of 40 million euros. Carragher noted that the 24-year-old has stamina, passing, and assist capabilities, so he can strongly support the attack while still handling defensive duties. This is a good example for Slot, and we trust the Dutch coach is aware but has not yet dared to fully implement it.

The second issue is that Liverpool’s leadership is not ignoring the idea of gradually replacing Salah. The arrivals of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, alongside Frimpong, are intended for that purpose, though it’s not yet very obvious. For instance, Slot has not dared to let Ekitike and Isak play together more often. Slot’s favored formation does not allow two strikers side by side.

Therefore, this is the right time for Slot to use Ekitike and Isak as Salah has lost his speed, strength, and power. Liverpool has lost four consecutive matches, and now Slot must do everything possible to stop the slide immediately. Additionally, if any club offers a large sum to buy Salah, Liverpool should seriously consider... accepting it.