What does Mohamed Salah's rocky season mean for his future Liverpool career?

"The reality is, the once blistering pace offered by Salah has dissipated, as has the accuracy of his sharp passes. And in the watchful eyes of the Kop, his trademark shuffle into the box just before unleashing a deadly strike with his left foot, which they have grown accustomed to, is no longer as effective."

"Furthermore, the numbers only corroborate the eye test, with Salah averaging 1.63 shots on target per game over the past eight seasons, compared to 0.67 this campaign. Comparatively, his expected goals too make for grim reading, as the Egyptian once boasted an average xG of 0.69, but this season's figure of 0.25 documents how little of an impact he is having on Liverpool's new-look attack."

"At face value, the decline of a 33-year-old athlete doesn't sound off any alarm bells, but when a player who has failed to score at least 25 goals a season just once in eight years, it's rather difficult not to be dramatic. The echo of the timeless, albeit fictional Rocky Balboa rings true: time takes everybody out; it is undefeated."

Mohamed Salah ended a 12-game Premier League goal drought with a finish against Wolves, but the goal offered little consolation given his overall poor performance and season-long struggles. At 33 years old, Salah's decline appears multifaceted: his once-blistering pace has diminished, his passing accuracy has declined, and his signature move of shuffling into the box before striking with his left foot is no longer effective. Statistical evidence supports this visual assessment, with his shots on target averaging 0.67 this season compared to 1.63 over the past eight seasons. His expected goals have also plummeted from 0.69 to 0.25, indicating minimal impact on Liverpool's attack.

Read at Rush The Kop