Mohamed Salah returned to the starting XI against Brentford after being on the bench for their game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Reds have now lost four Premier League games in a row, with fans now pretty much able to forget about their title defence.
Performances have just not been good enough all round, with certain players needing to step up after poor starts to the season.
One player who has been needing to do this more than most is Salah, with the Egyptian looking nothing like the player the Premier League has seen since he joined in 2017.
However, he took his goal excellently against Brentford despite the loss, with former Red Steve Nicol believing that he must start the next game, but here is why he is wrong.
Do not let Mohamed Salah’s goal overshadow how poor he was
Salah’s goal was simply incredible on Saturday night as he controlled it brilliantly before smashing it into the goal with his weaker foot.
This is exactly what Liverpool have been needing from him and this could be what he needs to kick-start his season, with Nicol believing just that.
“The reason why I said he should start the next game is because goals change players,” he told ESPN.
“They change the mindset and the fact he has got a goal will change his mindset from doom and gloom, to ‘right, I’ve broken the ice, now I can go forward and keep scoring goals’.
“Do you really turn around and not play him? Again, another reason why he should be playing is because there isn’t really anyone knocking on the door saying ‘you can’t leave me out’. So I think the goal means he has to play.
“Had he finished the game like he has done all season, then you would be within your right to leave him out, but I think that goal means you have to play him.”
What Nicol has said is partly true as this could be what he has needed, although his performance before the goal was also very poor.
He hardly got into the game and offered very little, with the few chances he did have not troubling the goalkeeper whatsoever.
As well as this, fans were saying the same thing after he scored for Egypt and led his country to the World Cup, but even that has not been enough to get him out of this rut, suggesting this goal does not guarantee his place next game.
Federico Chiesa is also pushing for a place
Nicol is also wrong to say that no Liverpool player is really pushing for a place to start in this position, with Federico Chiesa doing exactly that.
The Italian has performed well every time he has come off the bench this season, with the 28-year-old more often than not contributing with a goal involvement.
He has certainly been deserving of more chances but as of yet, they do not seem to be coming his way for one reason or another.
Against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, though, Chiesa will surely start this one, with this proving why Salah is not guaranteed a place in the starting XI for the next game.
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