The atmosphere around Liverpool has been filling with troubling signs, and one of them points directly at the club’s biggest star of the last decade. Mohamed Salah, the unquestioned leader since 2017, has just received one of the harshest assessments yet: Graeme Souness has accused him of showing a “lack of appetite” and of no longer resembling the player who carried the club for years.

A Club Icon Under Scrutiny

Speaking on talkSPORT, the Liverpool legend said he spotted the first warning signs back in August during the Community Shield against Crystal Palace.
According to Souness, there was a moment on the wing when Salah simply gave up on pressing the opposing full-back — something that, while never his primary trait, he always did with at least a basic level of commitment.

For Souness, that single action revealed something deeper:

“I think it’s his brother who has shown up this season,” he joked, stressing that Salah “hasn’t been there” this year.

The Scotsman acknowledged that Salah has never been a player who seeks physical battles or tackles aggressively, but he has always been a clever forward who unsettles defenders. Today, Souness believes that spark has gone out.

A Dip in Form That Numbers Confirm

Statistics only reinforce the concern.
With four goals in his first 12 Premier League matches, Salah is far from the form he displayed last season — a campaign where he produced 57 goal contributions across 52 games, led Liverpool to the league title and earned a massive contract renewal.

At 33 years old, the physical toll appears to be catching up with him, just as Arne Slot’s squad is experiencing a collective dip.
Salah’s lack of defensive intensity has become one of the most pointed criticisms from analysts and supporters alike.

The End of an Era… or the Start of a Reawakening?

Souness closed his critique with a message that was harsh but meant to be constructive:

“Sometimes the harshest words are the kindest. Salah needs to hear this to become the superstar he has been.”

The Egyptian — a four-time Golden Boot winner and two-time Premier League Player of the Season — has been the face of Liverpool’s most successful era in modern times.
His drop in form, alongside the team’s struggles, raises unavoidable questions about the club’s immediate future… and how much longer Salah can continue carrying the weight of history.