Mohamed Salah being pushed to the bench at London Stadium may shock many people, but for him, this place evokes many bitter memories. The Egyptian star had a heated argument with Jurgen Klopp in April 2024 when Liverpool were held to a draw by West Ham, and when he returned last weekend, he had to sit on the bench.
Arne Slot affirmed that this is just a rotation of forces during the tight schedule. However, given Liverpool's recent nine defeats in 12 games and Slot's own future being questioned, it is difficult to believe it is just a coincidence.
Declining performance and warning signs
Salah's elimination is not simply a tactical decision. It came after a 1-4 loss to PSV when the 33-year-old striker made a mistake that led to a second goal. Previously, Marc Cucurella had said Chelsea should take the initiative to attack Liverpool's right wing because Salah was "lazy to defend". In the match against Man City, Salah let Conor Bradley get into a one-on-one situation against Jeremy Doku, one of the reasons why The Kop suffered a 0-3 loss at the Etihad.
Those images describe Salah as no longer himself. He no longer has the speed, enthusiasm for pressing and does not bring confidence in Slot's system.
Against West Ham, Arne Slot decided to increase the maximum safety on the right wing when playing with Joe Gomez at right-back, above him was Szoboszlai who always diligently supported the defense. That is the completely opposite version of Salah.
A noteworthy detail is that Salah has not started 3 matches this season all away ( Galatasaray, Frankfurt, West Ham). That shows the possibility of Salah being benched when Liverpool visit Inter at San Siro next week.
Liverpool lacks Salah's replacement
Salah is out but the next question is who is capable of filling that position? The three players who tried him include Frimpong, Wirtz and Szoboszlai, none of whom are pure right wingers like Salah. Chiesa is only considered by Slot as a reserve option, Liverpool no longer has the type of versatile player like Sadio Mane or Luis Diaz to be able to flexibly switch roles. Even Xherdan Shaqiri was previously a more viable alternative to what he had.
The gaps in the transfer job make removing Salah more risky. However, Liverpool are playing very poorly away from home with Salah in their squad, having not won a single game since their penalty kick in injury time against Burnley nearly three months ago.
Pressure forces Slot to act
Salah was an exception at Liverpool. Last season he scored 29 goals and had 18 assists, a terrible statistic for a winger over 30 years old. However, his form this year has declined significantly. After 13 matches last season, Salah has 11 goals and 7 assists, with only 4 goals and 2 assists this season. More importantly, only one of those goals came before the 89th minute.
Slot must make a decision to balance the squad. He likes the Gravenberch - Mac Allister - Szoboszlai trio in midfield. Slot also benefits Gakpo for his defensive support. That left only two places in attack for Salah, Isak, Wirtz and Ekitike. As both Wirtz and Isak began to leave their mark, Salah's position naturally narrowed.
Liverpool are preparing for Salah's absence
Looking more broadly, the transfer cost of more than £300 million for Wirtz, Isak and Ekitike revealed a clear strategy that Liverpool are forced to consider rebuilding the attack when Salah enters the final stages of his peak career.
Slot's move to the bench at a time when he himself was a suspect is no different from an affirmation of his personnel strategy. Jurgen Klopp had quietly pushed the midfield duo Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia, before he also agreed to part ways with Sadio Mane. Slot may now be following in his predecessor's footsteps.
What future for Salah?
Salah was once supported by Slot during the long contract negotiations, but a year ago, he himself said that he had to leave rather than stay. Now, he is in a position to be considered an excess in Arne Slot's plan.
No one dares to say that this is the end. Salah is too great to be left out so easily. However, the match against West Ham opened a new door and for the first time in many years, it was not certain for Salah.
Salah's era at Anfield may not be over, but Liverpool are learning to live without relying on the Egyptian star anymore. Perhaps, this difficult decision is what can save their season.
