Jamie Carragher has called out Mo Salah and questioned his leadership for his failure to ‘speak for the team’ amid Liverpool’s dismal run of form.
Carragher said he ‘only ever hears Salah speak’ when he ‘needs a new contract or wins Man of the Match’ as he told the Egyptian star to front up with the Reds struggling under Arne Slot this season.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk offered a brutally honest assessment of his team after Nottingham Forest condemned Slot’s side to a sixth defeat in seven matches, admitting they were a ‘mess’.
But Carragher believes it should not just be up to Van Dijk and referenced Salah voluntarily stopping to speak to the press in November 2024, when he revealed he was ‘more out than in’ amid the saga over his new contract.
‘Van Dijk after the game has come out and spoken as he should do as a captain, he’s called Liverpool a mess,’ the ex-Liverpool defender said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
‘I must say on the back of all of these Liverpool defeats it’s always Van Dijk who comes out and, as I said the captain should do that, but there should be other players in that dressing room coming out and speaking for the club.
Mo Salah has been called out for not facing the media and fronting up amid Liverpool’s struggles
Jamie Carragher said he only ever hears from Salah when he needs a new contract or when he wins Man of the Match
‘A year ago this weekend Mo Salah wasn’t shy in coming out and speaking about his own situation, about the club not offering him a contract. I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets Man of the Match or he needs a new contract.
‘I’d like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, one of the legends of Liverpool and speak for the team, it shouldn’t always be the captain.’
Players who win Man of the Match are required to attend a post-match interview, while Salah was vocal in the media about the lack of a new deal before he eventually signed a two-year extension worth £380,000-a-week in April.
The manner of the 3-0 defeat by Forest at Anfield on Saturday, which saw the champions drop to 11th in the table, has sparked questions over Slot’s future from some fans and pundits.
Slot also snubbed the Northern Football Writers’ Association awards, despite knowing he was to receive the manager of the year prize, at the last minute.
Liverpool are now 11 points behind leaders Arsenal, leaving them with a mountain to climb if they are to retain their Premier League crown.
But Carragher said it had not got to the stage where the Reds should consider sacking a manager who won the title in his first season in England.
‘He doesn’t have unconditional love and support that Jurgen Klopp had,’ Carragher said.
Arne Slot has come under mounting pressure amid Liverpool’s struggles but Carragher believes there should not be any talk about his position
‘Klopp had ropey moments, but at no stage did I think people spoke about his position as they have done with Slot’s position.
‘But for me there should be no thought or no talk about the manager’s position.’
