Numbers may be falling but Reds STILL need Salah

MO IN PROCESS OF HANDING OVER THE BATON - BUT WINGER REMAINS HIGH VALUE TO SLOT

- By IAN DOYLE Chief LFC Writer

THE jeers that greeted Mohamed Salah on his latest return to former club Chelsea at the weekend were nothing new to the Liverpool winger.

But for arguably the first time in his illustrious Anfield career, the Egyptian is now facing genuine questions about his place in the Reds’ starting lineup.

A blunt showing at Stamford Bridge was the latest in a series of hugely underwhelming displays from Salah that have fallen way short of the standards he set on the way to becoming Footballer and PFA Player of the Year and a Premier League champion last season.

It isn’t that the 33-year-old has stopped producing reasonable numbers, having registered three goals and three assists in 10 appearances this term.

Indeed, his tally of four goal contributions in seven Premier League games is bettered by only six players.

But the eye testand a deeper dive into the numbers - highlights a player struggling for form.

Perhaps the most alarming such statistic from Saturday evening was that Salah didn’t complete a successful dribble or go past a player once, and had the fewest touches of any outfield player who played 90 minutes.

His successful dribble rate is currently just 12.5%, compared to 42.3% last season.

Across the board his metrics are down.