Liverpool secured a vital Premier League victory on Saturday against West Ham United, but the lineup and subsequent praise from club legend Steve Nicol have sparked debate over the future role of star forward Mohamed Salah. With Salah remaining on the bench for the entirety of the match, manager Arne Slot opted to start Dominik szoboszlai on the right wing, a tactical shift lauded by Nicol as key to the team’s improved defensive stability. The former Liverpool right-back argues maintaining this setup-and keeping Salah benched-is critical ahead of Wednesday’s match against Sunderland.
Dominik Szoboszlai featured in a new role for Liverpool on Saturday, starting on the right wing in place of Mohamed Salah against West Ham United. The Egyptian star remained on the bench for the entirety of the match as the Premier League champions secured a much-needed victory after three consecutive defeats.
Fotó: MI NEWS / NurPhoto
Liverpool Legend Praises Szoboszlai, Suggests Continued Rest for Salah
Liverpool legend Steve Nicol lauded the team’s performance following their win and advised manager Arne Slot to keep Salah on the bench for Wednesday’s Premier League match against Sunderland.
“He has to be on the bench. They are absolutely better without him. You have to build from the back, you need a solid foundation.”
“They’ve been letting in too many goals, you can’t expect to always score three or four to win a game,” said the former Scottish international right-back, before discussing the differences between Szoboszlai and Salah, highlighting the Hungarian player’s versatility.
Fotó: PETER POWELL / AFP
“If Salah goes back to the right wing, it will only disrupt this formation, because the team was much more stable defensively with Szoboszlai. He obviously doesn’t position himself on the pitch like Salah, but he helped his defender. That’s why the defense worked much better.”
Nicol, speaking about the Premier League’s previous season’s best player, emphasized that Salah is not nearly as useful defensively as the versatile Szoboszlai. “They won’t be better if they suddenly return to the previous setup, because their opponents will just run right through them again. If Slot changes things and puts Salah back in the starting lineup against Sunderland, I think he’ll be making a big mistake,” he told the Liverpool Echo.
Liverpool now faces a pair of seemingly favorable matchups in the Premier League, hosting Sunderland on Wednesday and traveling to face fellow newcomers Leeds United on Saturday. This stretch of games presents an opportunity to climb the league table.
