Danny Murphy and Theo Walcott agree on the reason why Mo Salah's form has dipped for Liverpool
Mo Salah scored in Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Burnley but his performances have not been to his usual standard.
Theo Walcott has delivered his verdict on Mo Salah’s drop in form for Liverpool so far this season.
The winger netted the Reds’ stoppage-time penalty to earn a 1-0 victory at Burnley on Sunday. However, Salah struggled throughout the encounter and his performances have been well below what he displayed last campaign.
The Egypt international recorded 34 goals and 22 assists in all competitions, which earned him the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award for a record-breaking third time. He also penned a new two-year contract at Anfield.
But so far this term, Salah has not had the same influence in matches despite Liverpool sitting top of the Premier League table. His penalty against Burnley was his only shot on goal throughout the game, while he lost possession 15 times.
Speaking on Match of the Day 2, former Arsenal and England international Walcott believes that Salah’s decision-making in the final third is where he is struggling. Walcott said: “There has been a lot of talk about Mo Salah and his influence in certain matches and how subdued he has been in certain periods. For me, I look at his output and habits as a winger and he's always making the right decisions as a winger.
“For me, he is in good shape it's just the habits where last year, it's a bit out of character. The decisions in the final third is probably his biggest weakness at the moment. I'd just say it's not quite happening, it's all the right things but when you look at a player who is not playing to his ability but not shying away from the ball, he puts the ball in some good areas. I wouldn't be worried if I was a Liverpool fan. It's not a player who looks subdued physically.”
Danny Murphy agreed with his fellow pundit Walcott. The ex-Liverpool midfielder believes that Salah is not struggling physically but technically is falling short. Murphy said: “I agree, he looks really sharp. Technically, he is a bit off. Everything for him last year was coming off, all the assists, the right decisions but when a player is in great physical condition and looks hungry and sharp, the goals are going to come.”
Before Salah’s intervention, Slot admitted that he did contemplate withdrawing Liverpool’s talisman. The Reds boss said: “If you need a goal and things are not going really well – although in the second half I felt we were better and better and better and we came closer and closer and closer – but I thought about almost every substitution. But in the end you always come back to, ‘I don’t want to leave this stadium with a draw thinking I didn’t bring all my attackers in, all the guys that can score a goal.’
“In another game you maybe wonder is it worth the risk to play with seven attackers, but against a team that plays with 11 players in their own 18-yard box that’s not, I think, a big risk then and that’s why we decided to do that. And taking Mo off – if you need a goal, it will probably happen this season or maybe next season, but it probably won’t happen a lot.”