Paul Merson: “I’m on Mo Salah’s Side”—Reds Legend Unfairly Targeted for Liverpool’s Poor Form

Following Mohamed Salah’s explosive interview, where the star forward voiced his frustration after being benched during Liverpool’s recent struggles, Sky Sports analyst Paul Merson has come out strongly in defense of the Egyptian international. Merson argues that Salah is being unfairly “slaughtered” and is taking the brunt of criticism for the team’s overall poor performance and deep-seated defensive issues.

Salah Deserves “The Ump”

Merson dismissed the idea that Salah should not have spoken out, arguing that the player is a “human being” and a fierce “winner.” He believes Salah has every right to be frustrated, or have “the ump,” when he is left out of the team while others, who are also playing poorly, remain in the starting lineup.

Merson emphasized Salah’s importance, labeling him a true “legend” of the club. He stressed that without Salah’s goals and assists, Liverpool would have very few trophies in their cabinet. He also pointed out that Salah’s choice to stay at Liverpool, despite having the option to sign for much more money in Saudi Arabia, proves his loyalty was never about a paycheck, but about wanting to play football.

The Defense is to Blame, Not Salah

A key part of Merson’s argument is that Salah is being blamed for defensive deficiencies that are not his responsibility. Merson contested the report that suggested Salah was not tracking back enough, arguing, “He’s never tracked back… He puts up figures like that because you keep him up front and give him the ball.”

Merson believes that because the defense has been “so bad,” Salah has taken the most criticism. He highlighted two major underlying issues that are crippling the team and indirectly affecting Salah’s performance:

Defensive Instability: The constant changes in the back line, with a different center-half rotation almost every week, is destabilizing the whole team.

Trent Alexander’s Absence: The lack of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whom Merson called the “best passer in the Premier League,” has allowed opposition teams to confidently “double up on Mo Salah,” knowing they no longer have to worry about the threat posed by Alexander-Arnold on the flank.

The Interview was a Favor to the Squad

Merson also offered an interesting take on the timing of Salah’s interview. He suggested that, given Liverpool had been “failing to beat promoted teams,” the interview actually did the rest of the players a “favor” by diverting media and fan attention away from the team’s poor performances.

Ultimately, Merson concluded that a manager, when struggling, should always turn to their best players, or “go-to man,” and if Salah does not make the starting team, then he is “better off” leaving.