Sam Allardyce accuses Mohamed Salah of 'behaving like a big baby' at Liverpool amid worrying goal drought

That has rarely been the case for Salah across his record-shattering spell at Anfield. He is a three-time PFA Player of the Year with four Golden Boots to his name. In total, the prolific winger has found the target on 252 occasions for Liverpool through 429 appearances.

Only two of those efforts have been recorded across his last 14 outings in all competitions. Salah has failed to trouble the target at all in English top-flight competition since netting against Aston Villa on November 1.

The 33-year-old blew his top in December after being restricted to a substitute role, with Liverpool being accused of throwing him under the bus in a testing defence of their title. Salah cut a frustrated figure again when being replaced in the Reds’ dramatic 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

It has been suggested that Salah could be moved on this summer, as Liverpool can demand a fee from any transfer, with questions being asked of his attitude and commitment to the collective cause.

Former England boss Allardyce, who has spent many years coaching in the Premier League, has told the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast from BOYLE Sports and Footy Accumulators of the mindset that a Liverpool legend needs to adopt: “Mohamed Salah needs to bite the bullet, sit down, and make sure he starts scoring. Stop blaming Arne Slot when it’s your own fault that you’re not scoring and getting taken off. He can’t be disappointed with being taken off when he’s not scoring or creating.

“It seems like some sort of mental block, because it’s not just a spell anymore, it’s the whole season. It’s a worry for Liverpool and for him. He needs to stop displaying his dislike for the situation on the pitch. Go and knock on the manager’s door and take it up there. Don’t do it in front of everyone; he’s behaving like a big baby.”

Liverpool are being advised to give more game time to teenage wonderkid Rio Ngumoha, with the 17-year-old enjoying a lively cameo off the bench against Forest as misfiring Salah and Cody Gakpo were replaced.

Allardyce added: “It’s great to be able to come on as a sub. You can have him [Ngumoha] on from the start when everybody is up and at it and fresh, but if you bring him on with 20 minutes to go when the level and tempo is going down and there’s that bit more space, then he can flourish.

“I would leave Ngumoha on the bench for the moment, but Slot can bring him on sooner now. It’s easier to build his confidence that way than to put him in from the start which may not work. That said, the starters who aren’t playing very well will be looking over their shoulder, knowing they’ve got to raise their game or else he’ll take their place.”

Reds legend Jamie Carragher is another to have suggested that Ngumoha should be given minutes ahead of more experienced colleagues. He told Sky Sports after witnessing a laboured performance at the City Ground: “Ngumoha did more in 15 minutes than Salah and Gakpo did before that. He changed the game and needs to be starting games.

“I think at some stage, Rio Ngumoha has got to come into the team, or he may have to go with another midfield player or lose a Gakpo or a Salah. I think Liverpool’s penetration and pace in the wide areas is really lacking.”

Slot may take opportunities to shuffle his pack in upcoming fixtures as Liverpool are preparing to play host to relegation-threatened West Ham on Saturday, before then facing rock-bottom Wolves in a Premier League and FA Cup double-header.

Ngumoha could star in those contests, but they will also present Salah with opportunities in which to play his way back into form, with the Egyptian superstar enduring the most barren run of his nine years at Anfield.