Liverpool urged to DROP Mohamed Salah by club legend Jamie Carragher in wake of Man Utd defeat as out-of-sorts attacker desperately searches for form

Salah has registered 248 goals for Liverpool through 412 appearances, rewriting the history books along the way and landing four Premier League Golden Boots. He drew a blank, though, against United as the Red Devils left Merseyside with all three points - courtesy of Harry Maguire’s late header.

Salah has now gone seven games in the English top-flight without registering a non-penalty goal - his longest barren run in that department since linking up with Liverpool in 2017. Faith continues to be shown in him after a contract extension was agreed over the summer, with Arne Slot reluctant to tinker with the right-hand side of his attack.

There is, however, no ignoring Salah’s uncharacteristic struggles. With those in mind, Reds legend Carragher believes it is time to take the 33-year-old out of the firing line. He has told The Gary Neville Podcast: “I think we're at that stage now where Mo Salah shouldn't be a guaranteed starter every week. I do think this is a real conundrum for the manager going forward.”

Carragher also said in the Sky Sports studio when helping to cover Liverpool’s disappointing loss against United: “I don't think Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it's like 'first name on the team sheet'. Liverpool have got two away games - in the Champions League at Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford. I don't think Salah should start both of those games.

“He should always start at Anfield because Liverpool will be on top, around the edge of the box and more often than not he scores in those situations today. But I do think in the away games and helping your full-back, I don't think Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home, with the form he's in.

“Would he be OK with that? Probably not. But when you get to a certain age you have to understand that, especially when you're not playing well, where's your argument? It's different if you're banging in the goals and your manager makes a tactical decision and you're frustrated. I don't think Mo Salah's in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games.”

Liverpool spent big in the summer window of 2025, breaking the British transfer record in deals for German playmaker Florian Wirtz and Swedish striker Alexander Isak - with £240 million ($322m) being invested in two stars of the present and future.

Quizzed on who the Reds now need to be building around, with Salah only tied to terms through to 2027, Carragher added: “It has to be Isak and Wirtz because they've spent the money on them and their age profile compared to Salah.”

Carragher believes that, especially on the road, Liverpool need to consider using another new recruit - Dutch star Jeremie Frimpong - as an alternative to Salah on the right wing. He went on to say: “These things have got to start coming into the manager's head. Maybe [he needs] to have a little look at Frimpong in an away game, who can maybe help the full-back back a little bit more defensively, and give you a little bit of pace on the outside, as we saw when he came on.”

Frimpong replaced Salah against United and posed a few problems as Liverpool pushed for a late equaliser, although that search was fruitless. He will be in contention for a starting berth when the Reds travel to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, on his return to Germany after leaving Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

It remains to be seen what role Salah will play in that contest, with a place among the substitutes having already been filled in one European fixture this season away at Galatasaray. Slot’s side suffered a 1-0 defeat there and have now come unstuck in their last four matches across all competitions.