Mohamed Salah was one of the players singled out for criticism after Liverpool's disastrous 4-1 defeat to Napoli on Wednesday night extended the striker’s poor run of form this season.
Salah was largely passive on a miserable night in Naples that the saw the Reds 4-0 down inside 47 minutes.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Giovanni Simeone and a brace from Piotr Zielinski compounded what has been a frustrating start to the Premier League campaign for Liverpool, who find themselves six points adrift of leaders Arsenal after just six games.
Klopp’s side were saved further blushes thanks to a penalty save from Alisson Becker on 18 minutes.
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Luis Diaz pulled a goal back early in the second half but it ultimately proved little more than a consolation for a largely lacklustre performance from the 2019 winners.
And the result has brought into the question the stuttering form of their talismanic Egyptian forward, who signed a three-year contract back in July worth a reported £350k a week plus bonuses.
On Monday, former Liverpool midfielder and manager Graeme Souness claimed Salah is in danger of following in the footsteps of Mezut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, both of whom saw their form dip significantly following big-money contract extensions.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Souness said: “I mentioned Salah at the weekend, and I hope I’m wrong when I’m saying this because hopefully he saw it at the weekend and gets angry with me and says I’m going to prove him wrong.
“I just hope it’s not the case with him that he’s signed a new contract and he’s got in his armchair.
“I say that because think of Ozil and Aubameyang at Arsenal, that’s exactly what happened with them and a big contract.”
Discussing the 30-year-old’s performance in Liverpool’s recent 2-1 defeat to rivals Manchester United, Souness added: “I was disappointed obviously in the result when they went to Old Trafford, and [Lisandro] Martinez went through Salah in the first five minutes in his left-back area.
“And the rest of the game Salah was looking over his shoulder to see where he was. Is he coming again? I’ve not seen that before, he’s not someone who wants to get involved in the meatier part of the game, Salah.
“He’s too quick, too clever, and too cute, but that’s the first time I’ve seen him blatantly look for someone and not wanting to be kicked again."
Many fans appear to agree with Souness' Aubameyang comparison, with one writing on Twitter after the Napoli game: "Since Salah signed his contract he has become Aubameyang 2.0. after he signed his contract. They look washed."
Another added: "Salah is the problem. Ever since he signed that new deal. It's obvious it has messed with the team spirit. We have an Aubameyang moment happening at Liverpool."
Many online also believe the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich this summer has contributed to Salah’s disappointing recent performances.
One user wrote: “Sadio Mane has been carrying Liverpool while Salah was taking the glory.”
Another claimed: “What about Salah? He is nothing without Mane.”
A third wrote: “Salah looks lost and totally gone. They treated Mane so bad for letting him go when they could have given him more money and contract.”
Liverpool will look to ignite their season when they return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon against Wolves at Anfield.
Topics: Liverpool, Mohamed Salah, Graeme Souness, Champions League, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The SPORTbible Team