Liverpool legend Steve Nicol bemoans another invisible performance from the “great” Mohamed Salah against Aston Villa
Steve Nicol criticized the invisible performance from Mohamed Salah against Aston Villa but acknowledged his greatness as a Liverpool player. Salah has enjoyed a prolific season despite suffering from a drastic dip in form since the March international break ended.
The poor performances from the Egypt captain coincided with the sudden dip in consistency from Liverpool amid the title chase. Throughout this season, Liverpool over-achieved despite an injury crisis, poor refereeing and congested match-scheduling which acted as a major obstacle.
The Reds crashed out of the Europa League semi-finals against Atalanta in April and from the Premier League title race. They have drawn thrice and lost twice in the last six Premier League games due to poor individual performances.
Nicol told the ESPN panel (h/t YouTube) that Salah has struggled to deliver at a crucial stage during this season. He said:
“He was pretty invisible. It’s just unfortunate that right now we are looking at him in a light that, considering how great for how long he’s been, maybe it’s a little unfair. It kind of goes along with the rhetoric of the end of the season that has been really poor from Liverpool. So, it’s very difficult to be positive, particularly on Salah because he hasn’t done anything recently to help Liverpool. But we shouldn’t really forget how great he has been over such a long period of time.”
Liverpool drew 3-3 with Villa after taking a 1-3 lead and having numerous opportunities to score more goals. Salah contributed immensely at the right side compared to his previous recent performances since the start of April.
However, the 31-year-old failed to deliver in the final third and only had one blocked shot alongside two key passes. He lost possession 14 times which was the highest out of the three main attackers for the Reds.
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Salah has slightly regressed in his pace and ability to beat defenders one-on-one, relying more on the linkup play. Nevertheless, his poor output in recent weeks exposed the level of contribution that he makes in the overall play. Liverpool fans hope that the Egyptian could resurrect his form when the next season begins but understand the need of having a suitable competition for him.
