Mohamed Salah is not enjoying the 2025/26 season thanks to his poor performances by his very high standards, questionable game management from Arne Slot, and the regular media scrutiny that follows it all.
His performance against Manchester City in their humiliating FA Cup loss has added to the pile-on he has had to deal with, because there are now calls to the team’s management to prevent him from participating in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
The Reds could progress further in the only other competition that they still have a chance in and strengthen their claim to this season’s title if they manage to scale past the winners of the last edition. However, they are being asked to play without a man who has been one of their most important players in the last decade.
This is because Salah is believed to have checked out mentally from the club, despite signing a two-year extension recently. This sentiment was strengthened after his recent announcement of his exit, which cuts short the contract he signed.
Roy Keane spoke out immediately after the Egyptian announced he was leaving Liverpool, saying that the club as well as the player will have to deal with a very irate fanbase if their season ends poorly. Keane also worried that Salah’s legacy could be tarnished.
TalkSport’s Henry Winter and Tony Cascarino buttressed those thoughts while making the calls for Salah to be dropped against PSG on a show.
Winter said, “They’re running through quicksand at the moment. Mo Salah, I think, embodies that.”
“I was watching on TV, and you just looked into his eyes when he was taking that penalty, and he just didn’t look right,” Winter added.
“He didn’t look like the confident Mo Salah of old. Good save by James Trafford. And City were terrific, but that was poor.
“Talking about fans leaving early from the boxing, I’ve not seen Liverpool fans walk away like that.
“Obviously, there were a lot of them because you get an increased allocation. But still… Arne Slot should look at that as well as his underperforming players.”
Cascarino said, “At the moment, I think [Slot] is spinning plates over Mo Salah, and he can’t quite work out what the right thing to do is.
“Being loyal to him, which he’s done, Slot. He’s played him when at times he shouldn’t. So now he’s got PSG.
“But one thing you can’t have, and it’s a hard thing to say, but I’ve had it said to me. Like, at the moment, Liverpool are carrying Mo Salah. And that is not a good place for the team to be in, because he’s not playing well enough to justify his spot in the team.”