All-time great Mo Salah has been let DOWN by Liverpool

Mohamed Salah belongs in the pantheon of football greats - not just in the history of Liverpool but of all-time.

The Egyptian King has had a transformative effect on Liverpool since joining from Roma back in 2017.

To his extensive individual honours collection - two African footballer of the year awards among them - you can add two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

He has seen and done it all - and places third in the club’s all-time goalscoring ranks too.

We already know that Salah HAS been disrespected by outsiders throughout his time at the club; whether that’s by Ballon d’Or voters and by the Confederation of African Football when it comes to handing out the individual awards.

Amid his current row with Arne Slot and his FSG paymasters - it now appears to some observers that he’s been disrespected by his club too.

LFC not making the most of Salah's talents

Salah hasn’t been in terrific form this season - although he has still managed four goals and two assists in the Premier League. He is one part of a malfunctioning attack - a malfunctioning club in all honesty.

But while others like Ibrahima Konate and Cody Gakpo - not to mention new signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak - have been allowed to coast to an extent the same hasn’t been true of Salah.

Liverpool’s top scorer in every season since he arrived - and the Premier League’s top goalscorer and playmaker last season - is being made to carry the can for Arne Slot’s inability to construct a coherent attacking unit.

We knew as far back as February or March that this version of Salah was struggling to get into games - in general play at least. He was spending too much time isolated far out on the wing - in turn affecting the influence he could have on the game.

But rather than focus on what Salah CAN do, Slot seems to be focussing on what he cannot. And I mention the all-time greats because in this context a player of Salah’s rare quality should be indulged.

Salah should be permitted to play like Messi

The 33-year-old needs to be given the right conditions to perform..

Look what’s happened with Lionel Messi for example over the last few years since leaving Barcelona. He’s won the FIFA World Cup at international level - among other trophies - and has just won the MLS Cup under Javier Mascherano.

Why?

Because he’s been indulged as the years have ticked by. If Messi was asked to play like he did under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona these days he would fail.

But Argentina - and Beckham’s Inter Miami - have found a way to get Messi closer to the middle of the pitch in order to weave his magic on the game.

Liverpool have not accommodated Salah in a similar manner and that is to their detriment.

Salah is isolated at Liverpool

The opportunity was there over the summer for Slot to make changes - to learn from the kind of player Messi has become and use it as a template for Salah.

Egypt at times have set up with Salah more centrally - either as part of a two-man attacking supply line behind a front man or else as a playmaker.

He hasn’t always played from the wing for them - instead featuring in a more orthodox and more suitable No10 role.

Slot refused to budge from his 4-2-3-1 - thereby ignoring the opportunity to set up differently and to get the best out of the club’s £20m per year Salah investment.

Liverpool could have switched to a three-man defence - for example - and used new signing Jeremie Frimpong as a high-and-wide right wing back - allowing Salah to push inside.

But they failed to land Marc Guehi as that crucial centre-back golden ticket and Slot in general has failed to work out any solutions for the so-called “low block” and opponents pumping high, long balls towards his back four.

And this all contributes to my sense that the club have let Salah down in these last few months. All the greats deserve to be indulged to an extent; Salah is a truly transformative player - the kind that comes along once in a hundred years.

And yet he’s been hung out to dry - stuck far away from goal and being asked to do what he is no longer so good at and blamed when things go wrong.

It’s a shame it’s come to this as Salah has got the ingenuity and chance-creating capability to match Messi. How sad that he’s not been given the chance to show it.

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