Mohamed Salah: Jamie Carragher surprised by Jurgen Klopp’s decision to sub Liverpool forward in Chelsea defeat | Football News

Jamie Carragher described Jurgen Klopp’s determination to substitute Mohamed Salah throughout Liverpool’s defeat to Chelsea as “unusual”, with the Reds failing to seek out an equaliser on Thursday night time and ultimately dropping for the fifth time in a row at Anfield.

Mason Mount had given Thomas Tuchel’s facet the lead and, with Liverpool struggling to discover a response, Klopp made the shock transfer to take off the Premier League’s prime scorer on 62 minutes and despatched midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on in his place.

It was the earliest Salah had been substituted in a Premier League recreation since September 2017 and the Egyptian was visibly sad with the choice, shaking his head.

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The 1-0 defeat was a serious blow to Liverpool’s hopes of salvaging a top-four end from what’s turning into a disastrous title defence and Carragher believes their struggles in assault – highlighted by Salah’s substitution – are actually as a lot of a priority as their injury-hit defence.

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“Klopp’s by no means been shy in taking Salah off the pitch,” stated the Sky Sports activities pundit. “It isn’t a case the place he is apprehensive of taking his important participant off. He is taken him off in sure video games the place Salah has been poor.

“He is a giant objective menace, however plenty of the time the place he is been taken off up to now, Liverpool’s attacking play has been breaking down. You could possibly perceive it.

“He wasn’t at his greatest tonight, nevertheless it wasn’t a type of video games the place he was dropping possession. He simply did not have a lot of the ball. You have to do not forget that Salah just isn’t an ideal participant with the ball. He is higher off the ball, making runs and scoring objectives.

“Salah is a superb goalscorer and what Liverpool have lacked is a objective, and it is what they wanted in that second half. I used to be pondering whether or not there was one thing within the variety of video games he is performed, however I do not know. It is exhausting to query Klopp, however I did assume it was a wierd one.

“If you want a objective late on, you want as many individuals on the pitch who can rating you a objective, principally.

“It isn’t the primary time he is performed it and it will not be the final. At this second, even with Salah on the pitch for an hour, Liverpool did not appear like scoring and that for me is a much bigger drawback than what is going on on on the again.”

The transfer picked up much more consideration on social media when Salah’s agent, Ramy Abbas Issa cryptically tweeted a full cease, however Klopp was eager to minimize the change after the match.

The Liverpool boss defined he had been involved about an damage danger to Salah, who has made 37 appearances this season.

“When the boys look disillusioned it isn’t an issue,” he stated. “I did not see what Mo did.

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“The rationale for the sub was that – and I might have modified different gamers as properly that is true – however he regarded in that second that he actually felt the depth and I did not wish to danger him.

“That is all. I’ve recognized him a very long time and it is actually uncommon as he normally seems to be recent.”