Amid the fallout of yet another turgid performance from Liverpool – this time against Tottenham – fans should at least have reason to be positive about Mohamed Salah.
It has been a hugely difficult season for Salah, who has gone from being the undisputed best player in the Premier League, to a struggling, overpaid forward who looks well past his best.
Throughout his talisman’s dizzying drop in standards, Arne Slot has been trying – and largely failing – to mix things up with Salah by giving him more rest than ever before. On Sunday, that finally paid off, as Liverpool supporters saw the benefit of using the Egyptian as an impact substitute.
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Salah is now at his best from the bench
It says everything about Salah’s sharp decline at Liverpool that it was not a surprise to see him start the clash with Tottenham from the bench.
The 33-year-old was diabolical during the midweek loss against Galatasaray, and with Wednesday’s return leg so huge for Liverpool, Slot was wise to protect Salah’s legs.
Having decided the 64th minute was the best time to get him on the pitch, Slot was immediately treated to some vintage stuff from his No. 11.
Salah looked sharper than he has for ages, immediately setting Hugo Ekitike away for what could have been a goal, and generally making life difficult for Spurs left-back Djed Spence. It was a masterclass in why he can still play a part for Liverpool this season.
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While it is generally accepted that Salah will leave at the end of the season, the next dozen games or so give Slot the chance to ensure he goes out on a high. He will not do that if he continues to start matches.
Salah is a legend, but he has continually proven that he no longer has the physical capacity to battle with younger players who are fresh.
On Sunday he came off the bench to run at tiring legs and give them something else to think about. Salah did that expertly, and while he may not be keen to completely accept this new role for the rest of the season, it is time Slot put Salah’s ego to one side and did what is clearly best for the team.
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Redeploying Salah can change Liverpool’s season
Despite his very obvious decline, Salah still has moments in matches where he looks every bit the world-class player he very recently was.
Without having to worry about conserving his energy for later on in games, putting him on for the last 20 or 30 minutes can allow him to showcase that against tired defenders who will hate to see him emerging from the bench.
There are times when this may not work, but all the evidence points to this being the best way to help Liverpool win matches. Salah can still be a gamechanger, but he cannot do it over 90 or even 60 minutes.
Clearly, this is still fraught with potential issues, otherwise the Reds would have gone on to win Sunday’s game against Spurs. But as they aim to tie up a Champions League spot and perhaps even secure an unlikely trophy win, they have to be smart with how they use a player who can still be decisive.
When he signed his new, two-year deal last year this is not where anyone thought Salah would be barely 12 months later. But it’s time for Slot and Liverpool to stop ignoring the obvious and use the Egyptian King to their advantage once again. Sunday was a peek into how they can do that.
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