Mohamed Salah‘s poor efficiency at Nottingham Forest served as a warning of earlier mid-season burnouts, however can Arne Slot belief his backups to step in?
It has been a exceptional season for Salah – one which has seen him accumulate 38 objective contributions (21 objectives, 17 assists) in 29 appearances.
Within the 1-1 draw at Forest on Tuesday, although, the 32-year-old endured a irritating evening by his world-class requirements.
Curiously, Salah truly had his highest variety of touches (61), his joint-second most photographs (six) and performed his third-most key passes (4) of any sport this season thus far.
However the Egyptian additionally produced his joint-fourth most ‘miscontrols’ (5) in what was a messy efficiency at occasions.
We rightly maintain Salah in increased esteem than others, however his shows over the previous few weeks haven’t been wholly convincing.
His solely objective involvement within the final three video games was the penalty at dwelling to Man United and he hasn’t fairly possessed the spark he did earlier than Christmas.
Fatigue needs to be averted
At this level within the season, it could be improper to say that Salah is struggling burnout.
As his statistics in opposition to Forest present, he was nonetheless closely concerned, and it was erratic ending – together with the intervention of Matz Sels and Ola Aina – that permit him down greater than something.
The priority is that fatigue may grow to be a difficulty if Slot continues to be so reliant on his No. 11.
Salah has began each Premier League and Champions League sport this season, along with his minutes within the league (1,767) solely inferior to Virgil van Dijk (1,800).
In seasons previous, Salah’s type has typically abandoned him within the spring, notably in these campaigns interrupted by the Africa Cup of Nations.
Final time period, he scored solely 3 times within the league from March onwards after AFCON, not helped by damage, and it coincided along with his frustration boiling over with Jurgen Klopp at West Ham.
In 2021/22, the arrival of Luis Diaz added life to a flagging Liverpool assault halfway by way of the season, and Salah solely scored 9 occasions in 26 appearances from New 12 months’s Day onwards.
Salah has nonetheless excelled in the course of the latter phases of campaigns, however with Liverpool starting to drop factors it’s important that they rigorously handle their predominant supply of objectives.
Can fringe gamers fill in?
The largest downside Slot has is that not solely is Salah an indispensable determine who must play more often than not, but additionally that he could not totally belief the backup choices.
Liverpool’s head coach lately admitted as a lot, saying it’s not straightforward to easily depart the Reds’ star participant out.
“All people right here is aware of the numbers Mo Salah brings in. There’s not many occasions a cause to take him out throughout a sport or earlier than a sport,” Slot mentioned.
“It’s not solely about Federico once we are speaking about him being restricted in his taking part in time. It’s additionally concerning the others.”
Federico Chiesa has had a rocky opening to his Liverpool profession, not making a single begin within the league, with accidents and health points holding him again.
Can Slot depend on the Italian to return in for Salah and begin an necessary sport? And can he be persistently obtainable to pick?
Harvey Elliott isn’t at his finest on the best wing, with an absence of tempo working in opposition to him, so it’s laborious to see him filling in frequently.
In the end, Slot has the unenviable process of discovering a steadiness between overplaying Salah and tiring him out, and guaranteeing that the squad choices are dependable sufficient to fill in.
It definitely labored in opposition to League Two opposition in Accrington Stanley, however it might be a special story in Premier League fixtures the place each level is essential.
With Champions League progress all however assured, although, there must be one other alternative to rotate within the closing league part conflict at PSV Eindhoven on the very least.
Salah has solely dipped barely in latest weeks – he could roar again with a hat-trick at Brentford this weekend – however at 32, it’s necessary to handle him sensibly.
We’ve seen this earlier than within the second half of seasons, with supporters ruing a drop-off from Salah, however avoiding it’s a powerful process.
