Jamie Carragher has issued a stark challenge to Mohamed Salah, urging the Liverpool forward to break his public silence and address the club's alarming slump in form.
Van Dijk sets the standard
The call to action comes after Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk described the team as a 'mess' following their 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Van Dijk did not hold back, labelling recent performances as 'unacceptable' and demanding his teammates show more anger.
This defeat marked Liverpool's sixth loss in their last seven Premier League fixtures, a dramatic fall from grace for the reigning champions.
Carragher's pointed criticism
Analysing the situation on Sky Sports, Carragher acknowledged that Van Dijk, as captain, was right to speak out. However, he insisted that other senior figures in the dressing room must also step up and share the burden of public leadership.
Carragher then turned his focus directly to Mohamed Salah. He pointedly recalled how the Egyptian was vocal with the media last November when his own contract situation was unresolved, but has been largely absent from the spotlight during the current team crisis.
'I only ever hear Salah speak when he gets man of the match or he needs a new contract,' Carragher stated. 'I'd like to see Mo Salah come out as one of the leaders, one of the legends of Liverpool, come out and speak for the team. It shouldn't always be the captain.'
A history of contract comments
Carragher's criticism references a specific incident from last year. After scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Southampton, Salah told reporters he was 'probably more out than in' at Liverpool as contract talks stalled.
At the time, Carragher called those remarks 'selfish'. Salah, however, was ultimately rewarded with a new deal after his instrumental role in delivering the Premier League title to Anfield last season.
The stark contrast between that triumphant campaign and the current struggles has intensified the scrutiny on all of Liverpool's key players, with Carragher making it clear he expects more public leadership from his former club's biggest star.
