Liverpool icon labelled ‘yesterday’s man’ despite 5-2 win over West Ham

Mo Salah has been labelled “yesterday’s man” by former Republic of Ireland international Mark Kennedy, despite Liverpool’s emphatic 5-2 win over West Ham United at Anfield.

Speaking on talkSPORT before the game, Kennedy delivered a strong assessment of the 33-year-old’s current level, questioning both his output and influence compared to previous seasons.

Mark Kennedy brands Salah ‘yesterday’s man’

Kennedy did not hold back when discussing our No.11: “I am going to be controversial here. When I look at Salah’s stats last year, they’re absolutely phenomenal.

“But every time I watch Liverpool, I never liked Salah. I think his ball retention is really, really poor. He gives up a lot of possession, and I’ve been really vocal when I speak to people about Salah this year.

“I am a Liverpool fan, I am a big fan of Salah, I think he’s amazing, but I think he’s yesterday’s man.”

The Liverpool former winger continued by linking Salah’s reduced goal return to what he believes is a wider drop in the Reds’ firepower: “Salah got 29 in the Premier League last year, he’s got four.

“I think that has affected Liverpool because when you look at what Liverpool have lost from last year, they’ve lost a huge amount of goals.”

It is a stark verdict, especially given Salah’s stature at the club and his record-breaking consistency over many seasons.

Salah’s West Ham display and the wider context

Against West Ham, Salah completed 90 minutes and registered a 7.4 SofaScore rating.

He attempted nine crosses, completed 21 of 27 passes (78%), carried the ball progressively five times and recorded an xG of 0.19, but finished without a goal or assist.

It is true that Salah has not scored in his last 10 Premier League matches, and he has no goal contributions in his last two games.

However, before that short spell, the Egyptian had registered two goals and four assists across six matches, which underlines how quickly narratives can shift.

Arne Slot recently pointed out that Salah’s own historic standards distort the discussion around him.

“He set his own standards, and those are so, so, so high and at the moment when he doesn’t score for a few games, people are immediately surprised, so that is only something that’s probably the biggest compliment he can get.”

Djimi Traore also offered a more measured explanation, suggesting workload may be a factor, noting that the modern schedule demands relentless intensity from elite players.

Liverpool currently sit fifth in the Premier League table on 48 points from 28 games, and while Salah is not at his explosive best, the wider picture shows a team still competing on multiple fronts.

The debate around the Egyptian King will continue, especially when goal numbers dip.

But writing off a player of his pedigree as “yesterday’s man” feels premature when Liverpool are still very much in the race for Champions League football and relying on his experience in the run-in.

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