Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has hit back at Wayne Rooney’s criticism of Mohamed Salah, warning those doubting the Egyptian forward that he has a proven record of silencing his detractors.
Carragher’s defence of Salah comes after Rooney questioned the 33-year-old’s work rate in Liverpool’s recent loss to Chelsea before the international break.
The former Manchester United striker urged Salah to do more defensively, arguing that senior teammates such as Virgil van Dijk should demand greater effort from the winger, who he claimed “looked lost.”
In his column for The Telegraph, Carragher acknowledged that Salah’s recent performances have fallen below his usual high standards but insisted it would be foolish to write him off.
“There are valid causes for concern following recent performances,” Carragher wrote.
“There are also valuable lessons from Salah’s career which serve as a warning to those prematurely predicting a decline. Do not write off Salah too soon because he has a habit of making criticism look silly.”
Salah has scored twice and registered two assists in seven Premier League matches this season — modest by his usual output. Liverpool, meanwhile, have endured a poor run of form, suffering three straight defeats across competitions against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Galatasaray.
Carragher also addressed Salah’s current situation under manager Arne Slot, who has introduced new attacking talents including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.
He noted that Salah was left out of the squad for the challenging Champions League trip to Galatasaray and may have to adjust to a reduced role in the coming months.
“With Salah unavailable when he joins Egypt in mid-season, Liverpool must get used to being without him,” Carragher wrote.
“Salah must start to accept he may not start every week upon his return, which is never easy for such a high-profile, world-class player.”
The former defender concluded that while Liverpool will eventually need to transition to a new era led by their younger attackers, Salah’s resilience should not be underestimated.
“Sooner or later Liverpool must move beyond Salah and enter the era of Isak and Wirtz,” he wrote. “Just do not bet against Salah making that later rather than sooner.”
Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield this Sunday in a highly anticipated Premier League showdown.
