Thierry Henry highlights key Salah issue affecting Liverpool

Thierry Henry highlights key Salah issue affecting Liverpool

Mo Salah has been singled out by Thierry Henry and after Liverpool’s 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman’s claims that our struggles are closely tied to the forward’s drop in numbers – ring true.

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The Egyptian wasn’t even introduced from the bench in Paris, with Arne Slot opting to prioritise defensive stability late on rather than turning to his talisman.

That decision, combined with a lack of attacking threat, has only intensified the spotlight on our No.11 heading into a crucial run of games.

Henry questions Salah’s influence amid Liverpool struggles

Speaking on CBS Sports, Thierry Henry offered a blunt assessment of where Salah currently stands in relation to Liverpool’s overall performance.

The former Arsenal striker pointed to a sharp decline in output compared to last season, suggesting that we’re now feeling the impact more than ever.

“It’s quite simple, Mo Salah, his numbers have dropped,”

Henry expanded on that point by comparing the winger’s influence during tougher periods last year to what we’re seeing now.

“So last year when Liverpool were struggling, I’ve seen Liverpool struggle last year in a lot of games and things were not happening, this guy used to bail them out.

“But it happens to everyone; numbers are going to drop at one point, no one is eternal apart from when you stop and people will give you your flowers.

“They should give Mo Salah his flowers because he was an outstanding player for Liverpool and still there, but look at the numbers, 57 goal involvements last year and this year only 19.

“And basically at a particular moment a guy like that, when he doesn’t bail you out anymore, if Mo Salah struggles, for me, Liverpool does struggle.”

Bigger concerns for Liverpool beyond Salah alone

While the numbers do tell part of the story, the reality is the issues in Paris went far beyond one player, with the entire team struggling to impose themselves.

Arne Slot explained his decision not to bring Salah on by pointing to the final stages becoming purely about survival, which says everything about how the game unfolded.

At the same time, Steven Gerrard praised the forward’s mentality after the match, highlighting how he stayed behind to do extra running, showing there’s still no questioning his professionalism.

The concern is that we managed no shots on target whilst setting up defensively, which suggests the attacking issues run deeper than just one individual’s form.

However, as Henry points out, when Salah isn’t producing decisive moments, it does expose just how reliant we’ve been on him during recent seasons, and that’s something Slot has to solve quickly.