Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman have both claimed that Mohamed Salah was not at his best against Brighton & Hove Albion - despite the Liverpool forward getting on the scoresheet in the 2-0 win.
Salah scored from the penalty spot, following Yves Bissouma’s handball, to put Jurgen Klopp’s side two goals up at the Amex before being substituted through injury, a few minutes later.
It meant that the Egyptian reached 20 Premier goals for the season - with Liverpool still having 10 games left to play.
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However, ex-Red Steve McManaman has claimed that Salah’s performances have not reached their previous heights since he returned from the Africa Cup of Nations in February.
“Funnily enough, I don’t think he’s been playing that well since he come back from AFCON, compared to his lofty standards,” McManaman told BT Sport.
“I don’t think he was great today necessarily, but obviously he took the penalty and gets the goal.
“I don’t expect him to be great every game, but the fact that if he has a quiet game, they’ve got five of them (forwards).
“If Salah has a bad day, Diaz steps up. If Diaz has a quiet day, Mane steps up, or Jota, Firmino. That’s the great thing for Liverpool.”
The former Real Madrid man is right to highlight the wealth of attacking options Jurgen Klopp now has at his disposal, in part due to the arrival of Luis Diaz in January.
Salah, though, has scored four goals and provided an assist in his last five league starts since suffering defeat with Egypt in the AFCON final.
The forward may have come under increased scrutiny from the pundits in the studio, following recent reports about his ongoing contract negotiations with Liverpool.
Rio Ferdinand agreed with McManaman's view that Salah was not at his best against the Seagulls - and called on the 29-year-old to sign a new deal with the Reds.
“He can afford to have off-days because he’s so decisive in the key moments,” the ex-Manchester United defender said. “When he gets that chance, an assist or a goal. He’s effective in all areas of his game.
“He draws so many players to him, because of his huge reputation, and it frees up the other guys. When Salah gets the ball, players are magnetised to him.
“For the Premier League’s sake, you want Liverpool to sign him (on a new contract). Obviously, for other reasons you maybe don’t want him to stay for selfish reasons.
“He’s a fabulous player and he brings more excitement to the league.”
