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Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has questioned the club's reliance on Mohamed Salah amid their recent poor form, suggesting that the team's tactics have become too predictable. Carragher, speaking alongside Wayne Rooney on a panel, argued that Liverpool's opponents have figured out how to neutralize Salah, who has struggled to replicate his previous seasons' goalscoring exploits.
Carragher highlighted that Salah's effectiveness has diminished because he is now often marked tightly by defenders, and Liverpool's lack of variation in attack has made it easier for teams to defend against them. He pointed out that when Salah is not at his best, Liverpool's overall attacking threat drops significantly, indicating a lack of balance in their forward options.
Rooney echoed Carragher's sentiments, noting that Liverpool's dependence on Salah has become a tactical weakness. He suggested that the team needs to find ways to involve other players more consistently and create more diverse attacking patterns to keep opponents guessing. Rooney also emphasized that top teams must adapt when their star players are marked out of games, and Liverpool have not done enough in this regard.
The criticism comes at a time when Liverpool have dropped points in several recent matches, raising concerns about their title challenge. Both pundits believe that manager Jürgen Klopp must rethink his approach and find solutions to unlock defenses that are specifically targeting Salah. They argue that relying too heavily on one player, even one as talented as Salah, is risky and unsustainable in the long term.
Carragher and Rooney concluded that Liverpool need to evolve their tactics and develop a more balanced attack if they are to maintain their status as title contenders. The duo stressed that while Salah remains a world-class player, the team must find ways to thrive even when he is not at his best.
