Former Aston Villa defender Ahmed Elmohamady has hit out at Jamie Carragher over his remarks about Mohamed Salah following Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Anfield. The loss marked the Reds’ fourth consecutive defeat, intensifying pressure on manager Arne Slot.
Bryan Mbeumo put United ahead just two minutes in under controversial circumstances, before Cody Gakpo drew Liverpool level in the second half. However, Harry Maguire’s late header secured all three points for Erik ten Hag’s side.
It was a disappointing afternoon for Liverpool, and many players — including Salah — came under fire. Carragher, in particular, was critical of the Egyptian’s recent performances.
Carragher: Salah Shouldn’t Be Undroppable
Speaking on Sky Sports after the match, Carragher argued that Salah should no longer be an automatic starter for Liverpool.
> “I don’t think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk — the first name on the teamsheet,” Carragher said. “Liverpool have two away games coming up, at Frankfurt and Brentford. I don’t think he should start both.
He should always start at Anfield, where Liverpool dominate and he tends to score, but away from home, given his form and the defensive demands, I wouldn’t start him right now.”
Salah was crucial to Liverpool’s success last season — netting 28 goals and 18 assists in 38 league appearances — and even earned the PFA Player of the Year award. However, his form has dipped this term, managing just two goals and two assists in eight league games, with no goal contributions in his last four outings.
Elmohamady Defends His Fellow Egyptian
Elmohamady quickly jumped to Salah’s defense, branding Carragher’s comments “nonsense.”
> “Oh Jamie, you again. Without him you won nothing, so stop your nonsense and get a grip,” the former Premier League player wrote.
Salah remains an integral figure at Liverpool, but with the 33-year-old now in his thirties and approaching the end of his contract, questions persist about how long he can maintain his elite level. Whether Slot decides to rest or drop his star forward in upcoming games remains to be seen, though his previous experiment — starting Jeremie Frimpong in place of Salah against Galatasaray — ended in defeat and sparked the team’s current poor run.
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