Liverpool-Mohamed Salah situation marks crisis of high expectations

Mohamed Salah, Arne Slot and "earning" positions

Salah began his takedown by lamenting Liverpool's poor run of form —one win in six straight games — but it quickly became clear that he was more interested in talking about himself. What bothered Salah wasn't Liverpool's results: it was the fact that he'd spent the past three games on the substitute's bench and wasn't able to influence them. He took deep issue with the notion that he had to fight for his spot in the starting eleven.

"I have done so much for this club," Salah said. "...I don’t have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. People will say, 'Ah you’re not bigger…' I am not bigger than anyone, but I earned my position. It’s football. It is what it is."

Is it, though? Salah has earned plenty during his time at Liverpool, but he certainly hasn't earned his position this season, and Slot benched him for a reason. Salah has racked up just four goals and two assists in 1,119 minutes in this Premier League season. For context, he delivered 29 goals and 18 assists in 3,377 in his last campaign ... meaning his season-over-season goal contributions have plummeted from one every 72 minutes to one every 187.

In a way, Salah's tirade was classic misdirection. He kicked up a dust storm around Liverpool that neatly hid his own failures in the 2025-26 season. He's stuck in a funk of his own making, and Liverpool's struggles on the field this season have had little to do with his absence.

Context is king

Liverpool is worse off in the Premier League this season than it expected to be, but it remains just three points outside of the top four. It's firmly in the race for Europe and just a few consistent wins away from being a legitimate title challenger, too. 

In the Champions League, its 12 points from six matchdays should guarantee it a spot in the knockout rounds, and its current standing — eighth of 36 teams — would catapult it past the opening knockout playoff and gift it a weaker opponent in the Round of 16.

A lot has happened since Liverpool's title win last May: the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the precipitous decline of Salah, the drawn-out (and ultimately wasteful) campaign to sign Alexander Isak, the rise of other Premier League powers and the untimely death of Diogo Jota. It's no surprise to see its players and fans on edge. 

But with that context, it's worth asking the blunt question: Is Liverpool really in crisis at all? Or is it suffering from a different kind of crisis altogether — the crisis of impossible expectations? Is Liverpool's biggest problem this season the pedestal that its players and supporters have put it on?

This modern Liverpool side is not a moneyed dynasty. It's a decently well-funded club making do with a new coach in extremely difficult circumstances. Floating outside of the traditional title race might be disappointing for Liverpool after its strong showing last season, but it's far from an unexpected turn of events.

Liverpool will return to Premier League action on Saturday against Brighton.