Arne Slot has acknowledged that Mohamed Salah is not playing up to his usual level, but the Liverpool manager has a team-wide explanation for why.
With nine games played thus far this season, Salah has three goals and three assists, which is more than respectable for a winger.
However, it is evident that the No. 11 is not performing at his typical elite level following a season in which he scored 34 goals and provided 23 assists in 52 games across all competitions.
The fact that he has only scored five goals in his last 20 games, dating back to March, serves as a stark reminder of that.
Slot acknowledges this, but when asked if he thinks the Egyptian is currently out of form, he provided a more comprehensive explanation.
“I think Mo’s current form is similar to the second half of last season, when he scored 12 goals, including five from penalties and one from a set-piece, for a total of six goals in open play,” Slot said.
He plays for a team that encounters different opponents than it did in the first half of the previous campaign.
“You compare the way Man United played at Anfield, when Onana only went long, to the way we won the road game against them, where they attempted to play out from the back and we took the ball off them three times.
That’s one of the reasons we have a harder time scoring goals in open play.
“Mo was already involved in this, as seen by the first half of this season and the second half of last season.
Liverpool’s open-play goals are declining.
The next time, you’ll be focused on Florian, but right now, you’re focused on Mo. After that, you’ll be focused on Cody.
In other words, we don’t score as many goals in open play as we did in the first half of the previous season.
We put a lot of effort into this, and the more we play together in the new arrangement, the better.
“But yes, we still have some trouble finding enough goals from the first half of this season, the second half of last season, and open play.”
After dominating in the first half of his first season as manager and then struggling to win the Premier League title in the closing stages, Liverpool is no longer the underdog, and opponents have adjusted to that challenge.
One could probably argue that the primary reason for the dearth of open-play goals is the change in system, from a more traditional 4-3-3 to a setup more akin to a 4-2-3-1.
Slot, however, obviously believes that this is an essential change, especially in order to make room for Florian Wirtz as a No. 10. This will make his team less predictable, which should finally help Salah.
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