After one of the most disappointing weeks of his eight years at Anfield, the good news for Mohamed Salah is that Arne Slot has yet to find a real successor to him. The player deployed to replace Salah on the right wing in the match against West Ham is only a temporary solution, not a long-term tactical formula.
That is also what Dominik Szoboszlai wants to hear, after he was given the fourth role since the beginning of the season. Slot admitted Salah was unhappy with being on the bench, but his return to the squad is now only temporary, as the 2025 African Football Cup is approaching.
When asked if Szoboszlai could be a long-term replacement for Salah, Slot replied: "I don't consider Dominik a right winger for the club's future. He is a midfielder, and can help us when needed at full-back or on the wing. But I don't expect it to happen in February or March, and not every game Dominik plays there."
However, Szoboszlai's trust in being tasked with many different positions shows his flexibility and great value in Slot's system. This is an encouraging signal for both the players and the team in the upcoming journey.
Slot's decision was partly due to Szoboszlai's ability to operate durably. Salah's refusal to retreat to support the defense was caught by opponents and thoroughly exploited. "As we all know, Dominik can run for two, and that is really helpful in this game," Slot explained.
As Slot himself knows, leaving a big star like Salah, Alexander Isak or Florian Wirtz on the bench always requires special scrutiny, not just focusing on the coach. The cameras were used to capture the moment Salah scored or celebrated - but against West Ham, they recorded him sitting on the bench at London Stadium, next to Andy Robertson.
"It's not easy, not just for Liverpool fans, but for me. He is an extremely important player for us, and everyone wants to see him on the pitch. I like to watch Salah play, score and create special moments, rather than lett the TV camera follow him while he's out," Slot added.
Salah will not be able to regularly feature for Liverpool in the near future. He is likely to have just four more games to play against Sunderland, Leeds, Inter Milan and Brighton before a few weeks off for the African Cup.
Szoboszlai could continue to be a winger when Salah attends AFCON. But the more urgent question is whether he will still have to take on that role right before the tournament. Slot, meanwhile - with his familiar tact - has highlighted Salah's importance.
Salah has now scored just seven goals in his last 29 appearances for Liverpool, scoring five in 18 games this season. But Salah has long been shaped by his strong desire to play in every game - partly making Slot's decision even more sensitive.
