His poor form and public statements challenging coach Arne Slot are pushing Mohamed Salah down the same path as Cristiano Ronaldo, facing the risk of ending his career at Liverpool.
When words overwhelm actions
There is an uncomfortable truth in top-level football that no star wants to admit: when statements off the pitch start to attract more attention than performances on the pitch, it is a sign that their power is waning. Mohamed Salah seems to be going through this exact phase, repeating a familiar script that Cristiano Ronaldo wrote in his final days at Manchester United.
Salah’s interview after the 3-3 draw with Leeds United, where he was just an unwilling spectator on the bench, created a media storm. His statements were highly personal and showed a rift with the team that made him a legend.
Salah is facing a similar scenario to Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
A familiar scenario
Salah has used similar tactics to Cristiano Ronaldo by claiming he was “thrown under the bus” by the club and hinting that “someone wants me to take all the blame”. Ronaldo also said in a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022 that he “felt betrayed” and publicly clashed with coach Erik ten Hag. The result was an inevitable departure.
Salah is now on the same path. His disappointment at Elland Road could lead to a similar outcome: a flight to the Saudi Pro League and a tarnished legacy at the club that glorified him.
The numbers don’t lie
Salah being benched for a third consecutive game has clearly hurt a superstar’s self-esteem. However, coach Arne Slot’s decision is not without merit. Salah’s form this season has been alarmingly poor, with just five goals in 19 games.
Salah’s form has been in decline for a long time.
Looking at the bigger picture, this decline began in the final months of last season. He scored just four goals in Liverpool’s final 14 games last season. In total, Salah has only scored nine goals in his last 33 appearances in all competitions since the end of February. These numbers show a harsh truth: Salah has long since lost his form.
Tactical burden
The problem is not just his ability to score goals. The ability to contribute to defensive play has never been Salah’s strong point. Previously, the dynamism of teammates like Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez or Diogo Jota has made up for this shortcoming. However, with the changes in the squad, Salah’s weaknesses became more and more obvious and negatively affected the team’s overall system.
It was a similar story for Ronaldo at Manchester United. When the goals stopped coming regularly, he went from being a valuable asset to a liability to the overall play.
Challenging power
Salah may not be a liability at Liverpool yet, but his statements are certainly damaging. His words are nothing less than a challenge to the board, forcing them to choose between him and coach Arne Slot. It would be a big surprise if Liverpool chose to side with a star player who is in decline and earns a high salary, instead of supporting the coach who brought the Premier League title last season.
The story is simple: if Salah plays at his best, he will never lose his position. His glorious past has given him legendary status, but the harsh present forces him to be treated like any other player. Perhaps the only person who is “throwing Salah under the bus” is himself.