Salah ‘knows himself’ biggest Liverpool form concern, as Jurgen Klopp told clear reason to drop winger

Mohamed Salah needs to get himself more into Liverpool games this season and could in fact do with a rest, according to an ex-Red.

The Egyptian winger has scored two goals in seven games this season but has not hit his usual heights. His goal in the opening Premier League game of the season at Fulham led to predictions of another early-season flurry of strikes.

However, it has not worked out that way and Salah’s effort in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United is the only other time he has found the net this term.

Salah came into this campaign off the back of two successive 30-plus goal hauls in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 terms. As a result, his lack of impact this season has been noticeable.

And according to former Liverpool star Luis Garcia, Salah himself will know “very well” what his problem is. Garcia added that the winger could even do with time out of the team.

“You can see and I’m sure that Mo Salah knows himself very well, you can see that he’s not beating players one-v-one” the pundit told ESPN FC.

“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 added.

“It’s very important that the players understand that it’s very difficult to play 63, 70 games that they played last year.

“There are going to be rotations because there’s a World Cup in between and some players are going to need a rest.”

As always, Salah has had chances to score more goals for Liverpool this season. Against Everton, he thought he had scored a last-minute winner until Jordan Pickford made a fine save.

Salah faces stern Liverpool test

Salah has proven time and time again the man to dig Liverpool out of a hole since his 2017 arrival from Roma.

This time, though, with Salah’s new tactics to stay out wide further, it looks as if he will have to revert to his previous game to get back on the scoresheet.

Whether the change in approach from Jurgen Klopp has happened because of striker Darwin Nunez’s arrival is unclear.

What is clear, though, is that something needs to change. Klopp claimed after the 4-1 Champions League defeat to Napoli that his side need to “reinvent” themselves.

Perhaps, though, it is a small tweak to Salah’s game that can make a world of difference.

Over on the other flank, Luis Diaz is having no problems settling into his first full season at Anfield. He scored the consolation goal against Napoli and netted a brilliant strike against Crystal Palace earlier this term.

And his form is making Salah’s situation even more peculiar. Liverpool have always had two dangerous wingers contributing regular goals under Klopp, but right now, it feels like there is only one.

A record of 159 goals in 262 appearances means if there is one player who can get Liverpool firing again, it will most likely be Salah.