Fowler hails timing of Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool exit as perfect

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes the timing of Mohamed Salah’s exit from Anfield could not have been better, as the Egyptian star enters the final two months of a remarkable nine-year career with the Reds.

While Fowler acknowledges that losing Salah will leave a significant void, he insists that last summer’s strategic signings have positioned Liverpool to manage life after the club’s iconic No.11.

Salah’s tenure at Liverpool has been decorated with seven major honours, including two Premier League titles and the 2019 Champions League triumph. His 255 goals for the club place him third in Liverpool’s all-time scoring charts, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt over 134 years of history.

Fowler, who once held the Premier League-era scoring crown with 183 goals, described Salah as “an incredible player” whose departure will be a bittersweet moment for the squad and supporters alike.

Planning for life after Salah

Fowler highlighted the club’s proactive recruitment as evidence that Liverpool had anticipated the challenges of losing their talisman.

“Now I am not saying we’re going to do that easily because you’ve still got to go out there and work and do the job,” he told the ECHO. “But I think the work was probably done last summer, bringing in Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, because these are probably signed with the hope of seeing something after Mo Salah has left.”

He added that these signings could enable tactical flexibility, suggesting that a formation tweak or a shift in approach might be on the horizon.

“I would be amazed if there’s not some sort of formation change or a little changed in approach because the players that were signed would thrive in a different formation and a different setting,” Fowler said.

A galvanising presence

Despite the uncertainty, Fowler believes Salah’s final months will serve as motivation for Liverpool’s squad. “He has been an incredible player for Liverpool and it is obviously sad to see him go. The players, certainly, and everyone really will be galvanised by it. It gives everyone a lift,” he said.

Liverpool are set to return to action on Saturday, facing Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals, before hosting Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-eight tie.

Fowler admits that the season has been challenging under Arne Slot, with Liverpool currently fifth in the Premier League after 10 defeats, but he remains optimistic about the campaign’s remaining opportunities.

Realistic targets for the season

“Look, I think we’d all love to be sat here saying Liverpool can still win the Premier League but it is out of our hands now, there’s no chance now in all fairness,” Fowler said.

“At the start of the season, with all the players signed, a lot of people thought it was a chance to go back to back with titles but it wasn’t to be. Certain things have happened in games with results, players have been injured… it hasn’t been the perfect season.”

He added that while replicating last season’s success has proven difficult, there remains a realistic path to silverware. “If you talk about the pressures, trying to emulate what they did last season has been difficult but we still go towards the latter stages of the season with a realistic chance of winning silverware. That, for me, is the bare minimum at this football club; we should be doing that every season,” Fowler explained.

Never write Liverpool off

Fowler also noted that Liverpool have a history of defying expectations, and the current squad is capable of responding to adversity.

“As much as we can’t win the league, there’s a realistic chance of going further in these competitions. And we’ve seen enough of Liverpool in the past, not just this season but in others gone by, you never write us off. And when everyone seems to be against us, that is when maybe you see better results,” he said.