Mohamed Salah has faced criticism for his performances this season — but would dropping the Liverpool star really fix anything for Arne Slot’s side?

 

As Liverpool continue to struggle, plenty of theories have emerged about how to steady the ship, and one of the most debated topics has been Salah’s place in the team. After his sensational form last season, which helped fire the Reds to the Premier League title, the Egyptian forward has found things far tougher this campaign. His dip in form has sparked calls for Slot to bench him as he tries to blend in new summer signings Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and Alexander Isak.

 

But is sidelining Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time really the answer?

 

While Salah’s performances have dipped, his name doesn’t top the list of Liverpool’s biggest problems this season. He hasn’t been as electric as he was a year ago — when his 29 league goals practically carried the Reds to glory — but with five goals already, he remains among the team’s top scorers, only trailing Ekitike.

 

Replacing him to make room for others like Wirtz and Isak feels premature. Slot could still explore different combinations, such as pairing Ekitike and Isak up front with Wirtz supporting them, but that experiment might come naturally when Salah leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations in December. That stretch will be the true test of what life without Salah looks like.

 

It’s far too soon to write him off. Just six months into a fresh two-year deal, Salah remains crucial to Liverpool’s attack. The real challenge for Slot isn’t dropping him — it’s figuring out how to get the best out of Salah alongside his new forwards.

 

Benching the club’s most prolific Premier League goalscorer would be an overreaction to a rough spell. Liverpool have bigger concerns to address before considering such a drastic move.

 

After all, they’ll soon experience a period without Salah when he heads to AFCON — so why leave him out now, especially when his recent games against Aston Villa and Real Madrid showed flashes of his old brilliance?

 

With a more forgiving run of fixtures ahead — including Nottingham Forest, PSV, West Ham, Sunderland, Leeds, Inter Milan, and Brighton — this is the moment for Salah to rediscover his rhythm and help get Liverpool back on track.

 

For now, the message is clear: keep faith in the Egyptian King. He’s proved time and again that when Liverpool need him most, he delivers.