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It's been a period, but Mohamed Salah was back assuming the lead part last week with a brace in Casablanca that secured Egypt's place at the upcoming World Cup. The star claiming the spotlight yet again. The Merseyside club must have him to keep that position.

Reasons for Variable Displays

There are many factors why variable, unimpressive performances have been the common thread running through the team's beginning to their championship defense, if they recorded a winning streak or, before Manchester United's arrival to Liverpool's home ground on the weekend, three losses in a row. The disruption from multiple new signings, the coach's quest for his best XI, the late forward's loss; Salah has felt the effect of them all during his unusually subdued opening to the term.

Sunday's Big Match

The weekend's big match could provide the spark for the source of a impressive 16 strikes in 17 appearances for the club against Manchester United, who are making their 100th visit to the stadium and have not won at their fierce rivals for almost a decade. Salah will pose the manager with another unexpected problem, however, should he stay lost in the disruption much longer.

Recent Display

Liverpool's head coach likely recognized the contrast of Salah's initial score against the opponent in midweek. Swept directly with the exterior of his left foot inside the front post, his eighth goal of the national team's World Cup qualifying campaign came from an very similar location to his costly miss in the Chelsea match before the break for internationals.

Had that shot with his right been finished moments after the restart at Chelsea's ground we would even now be eulogising Florian Wirtz's first excellent pass in the league. Analyses into Salah's drop and Liverpool's unusual losing streak might as well have been delayed. Instead, Wirtz's search continues while the coach broods over a third consecutive loss on the road, two inflicted by dying-minute strikes and one the result of a disputed penalty. Small margins, as he repeated on recently, but they do not mask underlying concerns.

Previous Campaign's Contribution

The forward was instrumental in pushing the side towards a tying 20th league title the prior campaign while speculation over his career persisted in the background. We extracted almost the utmost out of Salah last term,” said Slot when his main attacker signed a new two‑year contract in April. There has been a clear decline on an personal and team level from then. The lineup, not the terms of a contract, are accountable.

Statistical Decline

The 33-year-old's output in terms of scores and setups is lower 50% on the corresponding point the prior campaign, from a combined 8 in the opening seven matches of last season to 4 (two goals and two assists) the current campaign. His tally of shots has dropped from twenty-two to twelve while shots on target have declined from fifteen to five, causing a steep fall in conversion rate (excluding blocks) from 78.9 percent to 55.6%, data show.

A particular skill that has stayed stable is his playmaking. With 12 key passes, compared with fourteen at the comparable period of last term, his figures remain among the finest in the continent and comparable in the ranks of Lamine Yamal and rising stars, his juniors by fifteen and thirteen years respectively.

Team Output

Indicators of collective display will concern the coach further. Salah had seventy-six contacts in the opposition penalty area in the opening seven fixtures of the prior campaign. The current campaign's total is thirty-nine. The numbers are reflective of the team's difficulties overall. Just United and Arsenal have attempted more shots on goal than them this season, but Liverpool's rate of shots from inside the six-yard box is the smallest in the top flight, their share from long range among the highest. Liverpool's percentage of efforts on goal – 28.4% – is also among the lowest in the league.

During the initial phase of the previous campaign we mainly scored from an individual brilliance from a forward and in the second half it was mostly from a set piece,” Slot said. “Now we have not seen as many acts of brilliance and we have not found the net from set pieces. But we are still the side that from open play generates the most xG chances.”

New Signings

They are not hurting rivals in the manner Slot imagined when Florian Wirtz, the French forward and the Swedish striker were acquired this summer, though Liverpool stay the division's joint third-highest scorers. A draw on the weekend would be sufficient for Slot to reach the century of points in fewer games than any manager in Liverpool's past (forty-six). Think what his forward line will do when it finally gels. Liverpool are still a squad of exceptional individual quality, capable of starting and chasing any rival for the championship, but cohesion is lacking. This cannot be pinned on the new signings alone.

Personal and Collective Problems

Salah is not the only key player to suffer a dip, with Alexis Mac Allister regaining to match sharpness and Ibrahima Konaté toiling. But he finds himself at the heart of the upheaval that has of late engulfed Liverpool. This goes to a individual level, with Salah's grief over the death of Diogo Jota obvious on that heartfelt season opener against the Cherries. The impact of Jota's death can neither be quantified nor ignored.

Tactical Adjustments

Last season, he