Key Takeaways:
- Jamie Carragher urged Liverpool to drop Mohamed Salah following the 2-1 loss to Manchester United.
- Salah has not scored a non-penalty goal in his last seven Premier League appearances – his longest such drought since joining Liverpool in 2017.
- Liverpool’s big-money signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak were identified as future building blocks after a £240 million outlay in summer 2025.
Carragher Calls for Salah to Be Dropped
Jamie Carragher has questioned Mohamed Salah’s automatic place in Liverpool’s starting XI following the side’s dramatic 2-1 defeat to long-standing rivals Manchester United. Despite Salah’s enduring legacy at Anfield, his recent dip in form has led to debates about his role moving forward.
Salah, who has scored 248 goals in 412 appearances for Liverpool and clinched four Premier League Golden Boots, failed to find the net against Manchester United. Harry Maguire headed home a late winner, sending all three points back to the visitors and extending Salah’s run to seven top-flight matches without a non-penalty goal – his longest barren streak since arriving at the club in 2017.
🗣️ "I don't think Mo Salah should be starting every game right now"@Carra23 discusses Mohamed Salah's current form 📊 pic.twitter.com/NnjycNg4Jp
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2025
While the club reasserted its faith by handing Salah a new contract in the summer, manager Arne Slot has made few changes to his attacking line. However, Carragher stated on The Gary Neville Podcast: “I think we’re at that stage now where Mo Salah shouldn’t be a guaranteed starter every week. I do think this is a real conundrum for the manager going forward.”
Strategic Rotation Suggested for Upcoming Fixtures
Appearing in the Sky Sports studio, Carragher elaborated on the need for tactical squad management, especially with challenging fixtures ahead. “I don’t think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it’s like ‘first name on the team sheet’. Liverpool have got two away games – in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford. I don’t think Salah should start both of those games.
“He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today. But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don’t think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he’s in.
“Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you’re not playing well, where’s your argument? It’s different if you’re banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you’re frustrated. I don’t think Mo Salah’s in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games.”
Wirtz and Isak Tipped as New Core of Liverpool
Liverpool revamped their squad in the summer 2025 transfer window, committing £240 million for the acquisitions of German midfielder Florian Wirtz and Swedish striker Alexander Isak. When asked about who should form the backbone of the squad in the years ahead, Carragher responded: “It has to be Isak and Wirtz because they’ve spent the money on them and their age profile compared to Salah.”
Frimpong as a Right-Wing Alternative
Carragher also advocated for the inclusion of Jeremie Frimpong, a recent signing from Bayer Leverkusen, especially on away trips. He stated: “These things have got to start coming into the manager’s head. Maybe [he needs] to have a little look at Frimpong in an away game, who can maybe help the full-back back a little bit more defensively, and give you a little bit of pace on the outside, as we saw when he came on.”
Frimpong replaced Salah during the recent clash with Manchester United and brought a new attacking threat as Liverpool sought an equaliser, although their efforts ultimately proved fruitless. Frimpong will hope to earn a starting place for the upcoming Champions League fixture at Eintracht Frankfurt, marking a return to Germany after his move from Leverkusen during the summer transfer window.
Outlook Ahead of Upcoming Fixtures
As Arne Slot contemplates changes to his side, Salah’s potential demotion to the bench for the European tie would not be unprecedented, given he was among the substitutes during the 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray earlier in the campaign. Liverpool have now lost four consecutive matches in all competitions, increasing the pressure to reverse their declining fortunes.
