Souness says Salah is the single biggest reason why Liverpool are having a poor season | OneFootball

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness believes the decline of Mohamed Salah is the single biggest reason behind their underwhelming campaign.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Souness claimed the Liverpool ace has fallen off a cliff rather than experiencing a gradual decline, citing his sharp drop in output as evidence.

Salah has registered 10 goals and nine assists in all competitions so far this season, a respectable tally in isolation, but a significant dip compared to previous years in Merseyside.

At the same stage last season, Salah had already amassed 44 goal contributions, while he hit 34 the year before.

Even his lowest returns during his Liverpool peak, 27 goal involvements in both 2018/19 and 2019/20, comfortably surpass his current numbers.

Souness argues that drop-off has had a ripple effect within the squad, suggesting Liverpool’s biggest players have failed to step up in difficult moments.

He believes Salah has not delivered when it matters most, a stark contrast to the match-winning figure who defined the Jurgen Klopp era and the dominant first year under Arne Slot.

Souness, who made 359 appearances for the Reds, even went as far as to suggest Liverpool should consider moving on from Salah, despite his contract running until 2027.

He believes Salah’s best is behind him. But that conclusion feels very reductive.

Yes, Salah is declining. That much is clear. Few forwards maintain elite output deep into their 30s.

But to frame him as the single biggest reason for Liverpool’s inconsistency ignores the broader picture.

The issues at Liverpool run deeper. There is a clear midfield imbalance, and the defence is fragile these days.

Salah is no longer masking those flaws, and that is the real problem.

Souness’ take leans more towards convenient scapegoating than serious analysis.

When Salah eventually departs, Liverpool will quickly discover that replacing even a diminished version of him is far harder than blaming him.