Liverpool legend Steve Nicol believes Arne Slot should bench Mohamed Salah due to his current poor form, suggesting it’s the only way to potentially revive his performance.
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol has advised manager Arne Slot to take the “drastic” action of benching star forward Mohamed Salah due to the Egyptian’s poor performances and struggle to find form this season.
According to a report from Liverpool Echo, Anfield legend Steve Nicol has publicly called for a bold move by manager Arne Slot, suggesting that Mohamed Salah should be dropped from the starting eleven due to his dip in form.
Salah is among several players who have struggled to find rhythm at the start of the new campaign, which has seen Liverpool currently sit eighth in the Premier League table, eight points behind leaders Arsenal after eleven games.
Despite scoring 29 goals in 38 league appearances in the club’s title-winning season, the 33-year-old forward has managed only five goals and three assists in his 16 appearances this season, leading Nicol to state that he “doesn’t look as sharp or clinical as before.”
Speaking to ESPN FC, Nicol offered a blunt assessment when asked if Slot should bench the Egyptian international:
“Yes I would. The second part of the question is, for who? You have to try and figure a way out to get him back to somewhere near his best. And so far, playing him and playing him and playing him isn’t working.”
Nicol also rubbished the theory that Slot should continue playing Salah to prepare him before his sustained absence for the African Cup of Nations next month.
“Unfortunately there’s an answer to that: What is the point?” Nicol stated. “The guy is not giving you anything!” He concluded his advice to the manager: “I absolutely think he needs to do something and my own personal opinion, I would sit him.”