Liverpool problems deeper than poor form of Mo Salah, says pundit

Liverpool’s current problems are more wide ranging than just a lack of form from Mohamed Salah, according to Alan Hutton.

Salah has not yet managed to hit the heights from previous seasons and Liverpool have struggled. Two goals and two assists from seven games is not a bad return on the whole, but for Salah his start has been slow.

The Egypt star has 159 goals in 262 games for the Reds and his exit looked possible this summer. But the 30-year-old pledged his future to the club and penned a new deal until June 2025.

He has become the best paid player in Liverpool’s history on a deal worth around £350,000 a week.

But his and Liverpool’s start to the season has been disappointing. And some pundits have suggested that Salah has been asked to player wider this season.

Just five shots on target in six Premier League games and seemingly being on the periphery of games has fulled that talk.

But Jurgen Klopp denied that after the goalless draw with Everton

“No, it’s not more than other seasons or whatever. I’m not sure what you see there,” Klopp told reporters after being asked about Salah’s positioning.

“We want to have Mo there in this position but we want to have Mo, and we always had him, more often in central positions as well.”

Former Anfield favourite Luis Garcia has even claimed dropping the star man could be worthwhile.

“He’s not running into the box, he’s far away from the box, too wide at times. He’s not close to the box where he’s very dangerous.”

“I think that Mo Salah needed a rest [against Napoli],” Garcia said.

Liverpool ‘not clicking’

But Hutton believes the problems at Liverpool are “bigger” than just Salah.

Hutton told Football Insider: “I think part of the problem is just that the team in general aren’t hitting the heights that they have in the past.

“You wonder if it’s coming to the end of a cycle for this team. They’ve been unstoppable, outwith Man City, for a number of years now. They’ve always hit high numbers. So has Salah, but a lot of pressure is on his shoulders to go and make something happen when they’re not playing well.

“In the past, him maybe going out too far wide, getting on the ball and trying to make things happen where it was instinctive and he knew the chances would come. The creative players, whether it be [Andy] Robertson or link up with Trent [Alexander-Arnold], whoever it may be, were always there for him.

“Everything’s not clicking at the moment and it’s affecting his play as well. I don’t think it’s just him, it’s bigger than that. It’s more of a team thing with Liverpool.”