Arne Slot defended over Mohamed Salah decision in Liverpool’s defeat to PSG | OneFootball

Mohamed Salah Omission Raises Fresh Questions for Liverpool

The decision by Arne Slot to leave Mohamed Salah unused during Liverpool’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain became a major talking point on the Anfield Index Media Matters podcast.

With Liverpool chasing the game, many expected Salah to be introduced, yet he remained on the bench. Dave Davis highlighted the surprise, framing it as “a little bit of sadness and wonderment around this” decision.

David Lynch backs Slot’s call

Despite the external reaction, David Lynch supported the manager’s choice. “I think you can justify it,” he said, offering a blunt assessment of Salah’s current form.

“I thought he was so poor in the City game and he’s struggling for goal threat,” Lynch explained. He went further, adding, “he’s not even popping penalties in at the moment. He doesn’t give you work rate”.

This candid evaluation underpinned the logic behind Slot’s decision, suggesting it was based on performance rather than reputation.

Performance over reputation at Liverpool

Lynch made it clear that selection decisions must prioritise team needs. “Liverpool is not a charity,” he stated, reinforcing the idea that even a player of Salah’s stature cannot be guaranteed minutes.

Instead, Slot opted to use alternatives, with Lynch noting that giving opportunities to others could be more beneficial, “maybe getting Isak a little bit sharper is a bigger priority”.

The broader point was about maintaining standards within the squad. Lynch stressed that difficult calls are sometimes necessary, particularly during poor runs of form.

X: @LFC

Wider issues extend beyond Salah

While Salah’s omission dominated headlines, Lynch was keen to avoid making him a scapegoat. “You don’t have to completely go down the route of then… everything then has to be Slot’s fault,” he said, emphasising shared responsibility.

He also rejected the idea that all problems stem from the manager, pointing out, “the fact that Salah’s form has kind of fallen off a cliff is Slot’s fault” is not a fair conclusion.

Ultimately, the decision not to use Salah reflected a wider struggle within the squad. As Lynch summarised, “he’s not at that level at the moment and it’s absolutely fine to acknowledge that”.

In a season defined by inconsistency, the call to bench one of Liverpool’s biggest names highlighted just how difficult the current situation has become.