Owen Hargreaves criticises Arne Slot's big Liverpool decision despite Reds boss reaping rewards in 5-1 win

Arne Slot isn’t quite at the stage where he is throwing darts at a dartboard hoping to find the right combination of players for Liverpool even if recent starting XIs suggest that this might be the case.

Another curveball or two was thrown against Eintracht Frankfurt where it wasn’t just the names who caused an eyebrow or two to be raised, but how the players were deployed and the system that the manager had selected.

With four defeats in a row before the clash with the Bundesliga outfit, the Reds’ boss was taking a risk by moving away from tried and tested but was entirely justified in what was the best performance of the season.

Owen Hargreaves doesn’t think Liverpool should drop Mohamed Salah

Losing Jeremie Frimpong so early in the game to injury wouldn’t have helped his tactics given the asymmetrical nature of the plan. Conor Bradley is a fine player, however, Liverpool’s £29m summer acquisition was bought for his attacking prowess, energy and ability to provide cover higher up the pitch too. It is in this role that saw Owen Hargreaves express his doubts about Slot’s selection with Mohamed Salah relegated to a place on the bench.

Speaking ahead of the 5-1 victory, the former England international said: “That’s why they spent all this money, to have a squad like this. One thing I will say is, Mo Salah, in the big moments, he wins you games. Maybe he hasn’t done it as much this season but I do think, he’s earned the right not to be dropped just yet and I do think the other boys around, last season, he stayed up, he didn’t defend, but the other boys this season haven’t defended as much.”

Nothing lasts forever and, at 33-years old, Salah will, at some point, no longer be the first name on the team sheet. The most likely outcome is that the Egypt international is sold before the end of his contract to see out his days in warmer climes. It could also act as the sort of spark to fuel a return to the form that everyone knows he is capable of. Hell hath no fury like a striker scorned.

What did Slot say about dropping Salah?

Slot, accepted that it was a difficult decision to drop a player who swept the board with personal accolades last season.

"The first answer is always yes, (it was a difficult decision to make)," he confessed to TNT Sports. "But that is also to do with Mo and all the players I have. Every time I select a team, it's always difficult because I have so many good players. That's also the reason why I use these players. I liked the way we ended the game against United. Mainly the second half. Created a lot of chances.

"And Ryan is out, so that means we have to restructure our midfield a little bit as well - defensively and offensively. So all together with the way Frankfurt usually plays, we decided to start like this. But as always, I have players who start the game and I have players who can impact the game off the bench and that is (the case) today as well."

To say that Slot was justified in his decision is an understatement with a 3-1 half-time lead the most dominant performance of the season so far. Is it the beginning of the end of Salah’s time at Anfield?