The sight of Mohamed Salah holding his hands aloft at full time to apologize to Liverpool fans after the win against Frankfurt suggests a humble footballer capable of self-reflection, and therefore well aware that his recent performances have not been up to the level expected of him after an incredible seven seasons as an all-conquering hero.
But for some reason, he can’t seem to accept the reality that his poor form (which he clearly admits is a notable slump) threatens Arne Slott’s place in the starting XI.
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The 33-year-old was benched on Wednesday but watched as his teammates halted a four-game losing streak by scoring five points against a very underdog Frankfurt team.
He was given a 15-minute cameo by manager Slott, but instead of playing a simple square ball for Florian Wirths to score his first goal, he fired a shot from a narrow angle, cut inside in Salah’s position before blazing high and wide, from which we have seen him score dozens of goals for Liverpool.
Reds hero Jamie Carragher said after the defeat to Manchester United that the Egyptian should not be seen as Liverpool’s untouchable equivalent of Virgil van Dijk, praising Slott’s “great decision” to leave Salah out.
“I think we’re at a stage now where Mo Salah shouldn’t necessarily be a starter every week. I think that’s a real challenge for future managers. I don’t think Salah should be a ‘first name on the team sheet’ like Virgil van Dijk.”
It would be a smart money move for Salah to return to the starting XI against Brentford on Saturday. Especially since Alexander Isak was sent off at half-time at the Waldstadion with a groin injury and is likely to miss the game.
But Slott will also take note of Salah’s reaction to being left out of the squad for the second time after the winger was absent from the squad on Wednesday. It was the first time Salah had not played in consecutive Champions League games as a Liverpool player, and his level of grace was at odds with the humility he displayed in front of the fans.
“Mo Salah went straight down the FT tunnel,” Daily Mail reporter Lewis Steele said in X before deleting the post. There were a lot of positives for Liverpool from tonight, but he looked nervous. ”
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And after the match, Salah changed both X’s profile picture and cover photo in a brilliantly petty display of discontent.
He replaced the photo of him holding the Premier League title aloft with a snap of himself and his two children, and changed the cover photo from one of him holding the Champions League trophy with his Reds teammates to a plain gray background.
These are not the actions of a footballer prepared for the world in which he may no longer be Liverpool’s main player, but rather the suggestion that he will make life very unpleasant for Slott and his teammates if he is not given the space to rediscover the form he clearly believes he deserves.
No player is bigger than his club, and that is of course a tenet that Slott should take into account when choosing his team beyond Brentford, but Salah’s reaction feels like throwing the gauntlet at the Reds manager and once again disrespecting him at the risk of incurring Slott’s wrath.
