Mohamed Salah has not been in form for Liverpool recently, but he is still one of the best players in the world.
While there have been complaints about his goal contributions not being as high as his previous season, which was his individual best, the Egyptian still has all the incredible attributes that make him a legendary figure at Anfield.
It is difficult to drop Salah, given his ability to change a game at any moment, especially in matches where Liverpool have looked poor, such as the crucial last-minute penalty in the 1-0 victory over Burnley.
Arne Slot has obviously stuck with the man who single-handedly helped him win the Premier League title in his debut season at the club, and it is unlikely that there will be a change on that right flank, given the options.
Jay Bothroyd believes that the 33-year-old should not be dropped currently, despite criticism from the media and pundits over his performances, but believes it will become difficult if these displays continue.
Jay Bothroyd says Mohamed Salah can be dropped if poor performances continue
The former Coventry City player was presented with the statistics on Sky Sports of how different the numbers for Salah are this season for Liverpool compared to the start of the league title-winning campaign last year.
In many areas, he has halved his numbers, which is a worry, but it can also be attributed to the team not performing well enough as a unit and providing him with the opportunities, rather than him doing anything wrong.
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Speaking to the broadcaster, Bothroyd explained that if these poor performances and lack of contributions continue, the manager will have no problem dropping him because of the players they have as backups.
He said: “I don’t think you can drop Mo Salah right now, it is the beginning of the season, we have seen it with other players as well, like (Harry) Kane. When Kane was at Tottenham, there were times when he did not score for the first month of the season. So I would not drop Salah right now, but because of the squad they have got now, if this carries on, he can get dropped now, whereas before I think he was undroppable.
“Because he will turn up in the 90th minute and get a penalty and get a goal, which is great. But I think now, because you have got the likes of Wirtz in there, you have got Isak, you have got Ekitike, you have got Gakpo, you have got a good attacking line, there are more options where Salah can be taken off the pitch when he is not playing well.
“Whereas before he would just stay on the pitch for 90 minutes or however long the game is, so I think there is a case for it, but personally I would not drop Salah right now.”
Mohamed Salah is still undroppable
It is understandable why the conclusion drawn from Salah’s poor form is to drop him in favour of a different player, but in reality, there are not many players in the side who can do what he does.
There is only one real right-wing option, and that is Federico Chiesa, who has been electric off the bench and brought energy to the team; however, the question of whether he can do it every 90 minutes week in, week out is questionable.
Even when the team is not playing well, there are times when you look at the players on the pitch and think the best opportunity will come through Salah because of his record.
Dropping the Egyptian from the squad entirely is the easy solution, but trying to find a workaround so there is more service provided down the right-hand side is the answer.
Hopefully, he can silence critics when Manchester United come to Anfield, as his record shows he loves to play against the Red Devils.
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