Steve Nicol says Liverpool striker’s decline is ‘scary’ after recent performances

The discussion surrounding Mo Salah has intensified ahead of our trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers after Steve Nicol gave a strong assessment of the Egyptian striker’s recent form while speaking on ESPN.

The 32-year-old remains at the heart of Arne Slot’s attack, but a short spell without any league goals has led to increasing outside commentary despite our 5-2 win over West Ham United.

The former Liverpool defender didn’t hold back when describing what he thinks he saw: “I know we work here because we’ve played and seen almost everything. I’ve never seen this. I’ve never seen this.”

“How someone can come from the top of the mountain and disappear so quickly is absolutely scary. I’ve never seen it before.”

Nicol then went even further in his analysis: “All of the above could be true. So lack of confidence and irreversible decline.

“It’s hard to argue that those aren’t two of the issues. I mean, seriously, think about it. I don’t think he could answer it.”

“If you spoke to Mo Salah himself and asked him, he wouldn’t be able to tell you, right? I bet he wouldn’t.”

Salah performance vs West Ham analyzed

Despite the narrative, Salah’s performance against West Ham was statistically not bad.

According to player According to data, the Egypt international played the full 90 minutes, completing 21 of 27 passes (78%), attempting three shots and producing nine crosses, while also winning two tackles and contributing defensively as we completed the 5-2 win.

Stands	Salah vs West Ham
Minutes	90
Shots	3
xG	0.19
Fitting accuracy	78%
Crosses	9
Tackles won	2

He has not made any goal contributions in the last two games, but before that the Egyptian forward recorded two goals and four assists in six games, highlighting how small sample sizes can quickly change perceptions.

Context surrounding Liverpool’s dependence on Salah

Arne Slot has already addressed the discussion surrounding his number 11 and explains that control is largely determined by the exceptionally high standards that Salah himself has set over several seasons.

Our head coach noted that when a player scores consistently for years, a short drought immediately becomes a storyline rather than a normal fluctuation in form.

There is also a team context to consider.

Currently, we lack a comparable alternative on the bench who can reproduce Salah’s performance, meaning the Egypt international continues to play heavy minutes while remaining a primary creative and scoring outlet.

Another recent critic, Mark Kennedy, also questioned the striker’s impact, although the broader picture remains clear: Liverpool are still creating chances at a league-leading level and still winning games.

After scoring five goals against West Ham and firmly in the Champions League race, the situation is looking less like a crisis and more like a temporary dip.

The upcoming trips to Wolves may therefore be less about answering pundits and more about allowing Salah to do what he has done repeatedly during his Liverpool career: react on the pitch.