Arne Slot could use an old-school tactic to reignite Mohamed Salah’s form – it once did the trick for me.

Before facing Manchester United, I always reminded myself not to let emotions take over — though, at times, that was easier said than done. It’s the biggest fixture of the season, defined by both rivalry and mutual respect. Still, today’s players may not feel the same intensity I did in preparing for it.

 

Modern football is more tactical and controlled, so players rarely lose their composure in the heat of the moment. Even so, I believe Liverpool could benefit from keeping things simple this weekend.

 

When we used to study our opponents, we never worried too much — we knew we had the better team. Preparation was still important, but Liverpool clearly have the stronger squad now, and with home advantage, that could be decisive.

 

Mohamed Salah needs to step up. It was encouraging to see him scoring again for Egypt during the international break, but he hasn’t quite hit his stride this season — only two goals so far, one from the penalty spot and another on opening day against Bournemouth.

 

If his form doesn’t improve, Arne Slot might need to make a bold call. No player, regardless of reputation, should be undroppable, and Liverpool’s attacking depth gives the manager real options.

 

I remember my old Oxford boss, Maurice Evans, once telling me I needed to come out of the team because my performances had dipped. It was a wake-up call. The next game, I responded by scoring four goals in a 6–0 win — classic man-management from Evans, who got exactly what he wanted.

 

Maybe Slot could use the same approach with Salah this week. He’s proven to be an excellent motivator — now we’ll see if he can spark that sam

e reaction.