Salah was one of Liverpool’s worst performers in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United and missed two big chances to make it seven Premier League games without a non-penalty goal, his longest such run since moving to Anfield.
Carragher believes it is time for Liverpool boss Arne Slot to rethink how he uses the 33-year-old, who signed a new two-year deal at the end of last season.
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“I think we’re at that stage now where Mo Salah shouldn’t be a guaranteed starter every week,” Carragher told The Gary Neville Podcast. “I do think this is a real conundrum for the manager going forward.”
“I don’t think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it’s like ‘first name on the teamsheet’,” the former Liverpool defender added in the Sky Sports studio.
“Liverpool have got two away games – in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford. I don’t think Salah should start both of those games.
“He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today.
“But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don’t think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he’s in.
“Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you’re not playing well, where’s your argument?
“It’s different if you’re banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you’re frustrated. I don’t think Mo Salah’s in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games.”
‘Liverpool should build around Isak, Wirtz – not Salah’
Liverpool spent a combined £225m on the signings of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz over the summer but neither of them have settled quickly at Anfield.
Asked in the Sky Sports studio who Liverpool should build their team around, Carragher said: “It has to be Isak and Wirtz because they’ve spent the money on them and their age profile compared to Salah.”
Jeremie Frimpong replaced Salah with five minutes to go, immediately after Harry Maguire headed United in front, and made a positive impact for Liverpool on the right wing.
Carragher says the Netherlands international, who was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for nearly £30m in the summer, could be an alternative to Salah on the wing.
“These things have got to start coming into the manager’s head,” Carragher said on the podcast. “Maybe [he needs] to have a little look at Frimpong in an away game, who can maybe help the full-back back a little bit more defensively, and give you a little bit of pace on the outside, as we saw when he came on.”
The pundits’ in-game reaction to Salah performance
Here is what the pundits on co-commentary said about Salah’s performance:
54 minutes: Salah missed a golden chance at the back post after a corner falls to him completely unmarked.
Neville: “It’s a good chance for Salah. United are always outnumbered in these situations.
“Salah on his own and with his technique? You’d back him to score.”
65 mins: Liverpool go on the counter-attack and Milos Kerkez crosses for Salah at the back post. It’s a huge chance, but Salah misses at the near post.
Curtis Jones was seen celebrating before the shot, but then had his head in his hands.
Gary Neville: “Mo Salah, well. Things you don’t see or don’t expect to see!
72 mins: Alexander Isak is taken off for Federico Chiesa, but Carragher said: “That sub could have been Isak or Salah.
“Salah has been so poor with the ball. Liverpool supporters have been his biggest supporters. He has to do more. He’s been so careless on the ball.”
