Jamie Carragher has criticized Arne Slot for benching Mohamed Salah in favor of a “nowhere near fit” Alexander Isak as Liverpool exited the Champions League after losing to Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool needed another legendary comeback at Anfield to change the outcome of their quarter-final tie after a disappointing first leg in Paris, but instead lost 2-0 on the night, giving PSG a 4-0 aggregate victory.
Slot chose to start Isak, who had just returned from a four-month injury layoff, and selected Hugo Ekitike on the right instead of Salah, who is set to leave Liverpool at the season’s end. Ekitike sustained a serious injury in the first half, which brought Salah onto the field sooner than planned, while Isak was substituted at halftime after a lackluster performance.
Arne Slot (right) benched Mohamed Salah against PSG (AP)
Carragher expressed disbelief regarding Slot’s rationale for omitting Salah, suggesting it wasn’t due to any lingering resentment from previous comments made by the Egyptian.
“The manager will have his reasons, but Isak is nowhere near fit,” Carragher stated on CBS Sports Golazo. “Salah didn’t play in the first leg, so he wasn’t fatigued like some players who had played the week prior. He scored in the Premier League and remains one of Liverpool’s top scorers. He’s accustomed to this system, while Isak has never collaborated with Ekitike before.”
“I don’t believe Arne Slot holds a grudge; other managers might, but not him.” He further speculated, “Is it because Salah has announced his departure? It could be a decision to align with players who will be here next season, but even that doesn’t seem logical.”
Carragher also lamented the lack of impact from £100 million signing Florian Wirtz, who has struggled to leave his mark in recent matches. Wirtz had seemed to find form earlier in the season, with six goals and five assists in January and February, but has been quiet since his return from injury.
“He hasn’t delivered thus far; I’d describe him as neat and tidy, but lacking impact,” Carragher said. “He looks good collecting the ball, but when matched against players like Vitinha and Neves, he failed to compete in the first game.” He acknowledged, “Considering Liverpool’s expenditure, the return has been minimal.”
On Wirtz’s best position, Carragher remarked, “People often label him as a number 10, but I don’t think he can consistently play in that role against Premier League opposition due to his physicality issues. He might excel on the inside left, which could be his future position, while Szoboszlai might revert to the number 10 role next season.”