Drop ‘disgraceful’ Salah now: Former Liverpool midfielder leads calls to bench talisman | OneFootball

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has urged Reds boss Arne Slot to drop talisman Mohamed Salah in the wake of their 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.

Liverpool have lost nine of their last 12 games, their worst run in 71 years, and are struggling to pull themselves out of this rot.

Only six months after lifting the Premier League title, the Merseyside club is crumbling on all sides, and many want to see repercussions for poor performances.

Salah was brilliant on the offensive side of the game for Liverpool against PSV. He created two big chances for the Reds, but was caught lacking defensively.

The 33-year-old lost 8/10 ground duels and was dribbled past twice.

He should have been tracking Mario Junior, but lethargically let him run through and set up Guus Til for PSV’s second.

Hamann was incensed, branding it disgraceful. He said (via RTE Sports), “There comes a point when you got to drop players, big players.

“I thought Salah might be one of the first one to be dropped. And then I said to myself, ‘I’m not sure because he needs him.’

“Now he (Slot) has got a decision to make. Do you get the sack with Salah or do you keep your job without him?

“What Salah did for that second PSV goal, that was the time Slot had the chance to take him off straight away because what he did there was disgraceful.”

Should Slot bench Salah?

Some Liverpool fans will want to see Slot send a strong message to the players by dropping Salah, but can they really afford to?

The Reds are not exactly overflowing with wingers who can match his production. Despite his slump, he has scored once and created four big chances in Europe.

He has netted four times and created five big chances in the league. For all his faults, he remains their most reliable source of end product.

Slot may be tempted to wield the axe, but benching his most dangerous attacker in a moment of crisis comes with enormous risk.

Right now, Liverpool need solutions more than statements, and replacing Salah’s influence on the pitch is a problem they may not be equipped to solve.