Mesut Ozil cited in scathing Liverpool star man verdict – expert
Gabby Agbonlahor has compared Mohamed Salah’s performances for Liverpool this season to Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal after they signed big contracts.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa and England forward questioned whether Salah deserves his place in the starting XI.
The 30-year-old signed a bumper three-year deal in the summer but has only scored twice in the Premier League this season.
He was dropped to the bench for the 7-1 win over Rangers on Wednesday (12 October) but came on to score the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history.
“Ozil signed a contract and got hammered for it, Aubameyang signed a contract and his form dipped,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“Salah, his form has dipped since he signed his contract, it’s as simple as that. He deserves the same energy as Ozil and Aubameyang got when their form dipped.
“Salah deserves to be dropped, for me. I’d give [Harvey] Elliott a chance on the right or someone who is going to show more hunger.
“When you are losing in a game as big as Arsenal and you are getting taken off, what does that say about your performance?
“If Jurgen Klopp is taking off Mo Salah when they need a goal it doesn’t look good. All that as well comes down to the manager too.
“He hammered me because I’m not a mentality monster, well he’s not a mentality monster anymore.
“He’s not doing a good job at Liverpool at all. Seventh-season syndrome might strike again for Jurgen Klopp.”
In other news, Liverpool may be without Luis Diaz for longer than first feared.