Salah Still Fits, Whatever The Shape

I’m struggling with this idea that Mohamed Salah doesn’t fit Liverpool anymore. Not because he should be immune from criticism, but because the whole point of building an attack with more variety is that your best threat has even more ways to be dangerous.

If you’ve signed forwards and a No.10 profile to give you different angles, different patterns, different ways of arriving in the box, then Salah becomes even more useful, not less. You don’t spend years watching him decide matches and then pretend he’s suddenly the awkward piece in the puzzle.

Options should help Salah, not replace him

The “he doesn’t suit it” conversation usually pops up when the team looks a bit stiff. When Liverpool’s tempo drops and the ball circulation becomes slow and predictable, the wide forward who thrives on quick combinations and early deliveries can end up looking like he’s waiting for something to happen.

But that’s not the same as not fitting. That’s a system problem, or at least a rhythm problem. Salah has always looked at his most frightening when Liverpool move the ball quickly, win it back quickly, and attack the space before the opposition shape gets comfy. If the team stops doing that, of course he looks less like the headline act.

A front two could make sense for a while

I actually don’t mind the idea of using Salah in a two, alongside Ekitike, as a short-term solution while the wider setup finds its feet. A front two can simplify the job: stay close to goal, play off the other striker, get into the box more often, and let others provide the width.

It also takes away some of the “receive it wide, beat two men, create something” burden. Not because Salah can’t do it, but because why make life harder than it needs to be?

Writing him off feels short-sighted

Truth is, if Liverpool’s attacking football has looked poor at times, it’s harsh to pin that on the one forward who has repeatedly been the difference-maker over multiple seasons. If Arne Slot is pushing the side towards a slower possession style, that’s a massive shift in feel as well as shape. Not every player is going to look their sharpest during that kind of transition.

For me, the answer isn’t rushing to move on from Salah. It’s finding the balance between control and speed so the attack doesn’t turn into a waiting game. Keep him. Use him. And if the system changes again down the line, reassess then. That’s the sensible way to treat an elite forward.

Written by snugglepool: 19 December 2025