Premier League: How far can a promise go when you are playing badly?

At the end of last season, as the red wave of euphoria swept over the Kop, could anyone in Anfield have predicted that before Christmas, the Premier League champions would be effectively out of retaining their title, while their beloved Premier League record goal scorer and club legend would be bad-mouthing the club and on the verge of departing?

This evening sees Liverpool host Brighton, which in the normal course of events would be a mid to testing challenge in their Premier League schedule. But today the significance of this game has grown far beyond the three points available, as we wonder whether this will be the last time we see Mo Salah in Liverpool red. That’s if he even plays today.

Salah has not been having anywhere near the type of season we have become accustomed to of the last decade. His ability to cut in on the right, to curl the ball into the far corner of the net off his glorious left foot, has all been notably absent this season. Add in a worrying drop in the number of assists this term, along with the already agreed pass he holds on tracking back to help the defence and you generally can gather the reasons that finally led to Salah been benched for the last three Premier League games, and eventually saw him erupt over his treatment in the media mixed zone at Elland Road last Saturday night.

Let’s go over what Salah said and discuss their merits.

Promises 

"That I'm sitting on the bench for 90 minutes! The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I'm very, very disappointed to be fair. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season.

“I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far, I am on the bench for three games so I can't say they keep the promise."

No one can question the importance of Salah to Liverpool’s title-winning campaigns under Jurgen Klopp and again with Arne Slot last season all true. But one must remember, Liverpool also saved Salah who was coming off two defunct runs with Chelsea and Roma and was not acknowledged in the game till he arrived on Merseyside.

It looks like he has had a promise to start every game but how far can that promise be fulfilled when as a striker the goals dry up?

Under the Bus

“Now I'm sitting on the bench, and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.” 

That Salah thinks been benched for three games equates to been thrown under bus by the club seems incredulous. No one, even the most fanatic Liverpool follower puts all the blame for the team’s dip in form fully at the feet of Mo Salah. It is generally acknowledged that onlyDominik Szoboszlai, Connor Bradley, and Hugo Ekitke can say they have played up to expectations this season. But everyone else has had their commitment questioned by the fans this season. And other players have faced periods on the bench. Take Andy Robertson, who has done little wrong at left full, who was immediately dropped once Milos Kerkez came into the team. Robertson did not moan; he took his medicine and now is back starting after Kerkez inability so far to click with the team.

Not wanted?

“I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club.” 

This again likely shows that there was some sort of verbal agreement for Salah to start every game. And that Salah feels aggrieved now that he’s not. And he seems to be laying the blame at the feet of Slot. That a player, no matter how good, thinks three matches without starting even though he did come on in one of those games, (for the draw against Sunderland) while showing a significant dip in form, is rather petulant.

The only leg to Salah’s argument is that some other players playing as bad were not benched. In particular the player mirroring Salah on the other side of the pitch, Cody Gakpo. It’s arguable that the Dutchman is having as bad a season as Salah but has not been benched. Maybe Salah thinks Slot is showing him favouritism due to their shared nationality. Gakpo has not been playing great, like many others this season. He has bagged four goals and made three assists this season. Salah also has bagged four goals but only created two assists and it must be remembered that two of Salah’s goals came from the penalty spot. Enough of a gap that maybe Slot can argue the placement of Gakpo on the team sheet ahead of Salah.

Salah is obviously hurt by the promises that were breached but has really overreached by expressing his grievances to the media. The fans love Mo and sing his Egyptian King name weekly. But they love their club more. Sure, they will mourn if Salah leaves but will then move on. They have seen him run on empty this season and generally agree that an alternative to him was needed. They have been calling on Slot for change things on the field for weeks and frankly agreed when he finally dropped Salah. The fans love Salah but know if it’s not clicking for him, the club and manager must make changes, no matter what was promised.

Fallout

The fans sang Slots name at half-time on Tuesday’s Champions League win over Inter at the San Siro when it was 0-0. Which was telling. That the side won without Salah from a penalty that Salah would’ve taken had he played is even more significant.

We don’t know whether Salah, Slot, and the club can resolve their differences for today’s game. If he doesn’t play, we will not see him again for Liverpool until after the Africa Nations Cup. And maybe not ever again after that, as the rumours of a Saudi deal re-emerge.

It will be a very sad way for him, as a club legend to go like this, should the circumstances play out that way. But you have to ask what way Salah really saw this play out when he went to say his piece in the media’s mixed zone that night in Elland Road? And has he overestimated the strength of his position here?