Mo Salah has taken drastic action on his social media channels the morning after he was sensationally dropped to the bench by Liverpool boss Arne Slot for the crucial Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt. Salah’s move has created a stir with suggestions that this is a clear indication the Egypt international wants to leave Anfield and comes after his well below-par start to the season.
Mo problems as season stutters
It’s been a very tricky start to the season for Salah, with a noticeable decline in the quality of his performances, marked by reduced goal-scoring and fewer chances created. His goal involvements are down, with his shooting accuracy and expected goals per 90 minutes both significantly lower compared to his best seasons. He has also shown a worrying drop in his dribbling success rate and fewer touches in the opposition's penalty area, indicating a decrease in his effectiveness. His lacklustre form has prompted Slot to bench him, a rare move for a player who has consistently been one of Liverpool's most reliable performers. This dip in form has contributed to the Premier League champions' inconsistent results, with some pundits and fans suggesting his place in the starting lineup is no longer guaranteed.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportChampions League drama as Salah strops
Despite Liverpool's comfortable 5-1 victory in Frankfurt, Salah's performance was notably poor after he was introduced in the 74th minute, and the Egypt international continued his goal drought, making little impact in his brief appearance and he faced an avalanche of criticism for choosing to shoot instead of passing to an unmarked Florian Wirtz. Fans and pundits called the decision "greedy," especially as Wirtz is still waiting for his first goal.
Fans were quick to ask questions of why Salah is being so selfish. @TheKopWatch posted on social media: "That’s so greedy from Salah, Wirtz is right there for his first goal ffs." @CiebacT added: "Salah personally hates Flo, no other explanation." As that debate continued, @_bubblxs said: "Imagine how good we could be if Salah played WITH wirtz instead of against him." And @SanchezKing13 chimed in with: "If I’m Wirtz I’m airing Salah and not passing him the ball for the next 8 games".
And Salah’s frustration was evident post-match when he stormed down the tunnel "in a strop". But Slot's bold decision to drop Salah came after a run of disappointing performances, and was vindicated as the team ended a four-match losing streak without their talisman on the pitch from the start.
Liverpool wiped from social media
And now the morning after the Frankfurt match Salah has taken the decision to remove all mention of Liverpool from his social media channel's biographies, including Instagram and X, replacing the previous Liverpool-related content and pictures of him with his team-mates for generic images of himself and others with his two daughters.
Getty Images SportWill Mo make return to starting XI?
Next steps lay firmly with the boss Slot, he could hand a starting place back to Salah away to Brentford this weekend and the storm will blow over. But if he’s left out again the chatter about Salah leaving will only grow louder. The Reds host Crystal Palace in the League Cup on October 29th and there’s the massive Champions League fixture against Real Madrid on the horizon next month, too.
Ahead of the clash with Frankfurt, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said Salah must understand his starting place is no longer guaranteed. He said: "When Mo Salah isn't being the legendary Mo Salah, he gets treated like one of the other players, which is right. He's 33 years of age and Liverpool will have three games in six days. At the moment, if he isn't at his best, he shouldn't play three games in six days. There are other options there as well. We know Liverpool have spent a lot of money. Liverpool have got a big game at the weekend as well, so great decision, Arne."