Alan Shearer has ripped into Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for their anonymous performances in Sunday’s draw against Manchester United.
Writing in the Sun, the high-profile pundit named the off-key duo for failing to turn up in the marquee match as the visitors failed to take advantage of a series of injuries to the home team.
Shearer claimed Salah was virtually invisible and there was “nothing” on offer from Mane as Liverpool struggled to properly test David de Gea in goal.
“The home side could have played without a goalkeeper – that’s how easy it was for them,” Shearer told the Sun. “United defended really well and I thought Luke Shaw was man of the match.
“Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof saw off Mo Salah and never gave him a kick. Roberto Firmino went off injured and we never had a sighting of Sadio Mane in the game — nothing.”
OPINION
It’s difficult to argue with Shearer’s summary of the performances of Salah and Mane. They both began reasonably brightly, but got progressively worse and, by the end, the Senegalese was almost comically bad. He seemed to concede possession every time he had he ball, and could not even pull off the most basic of short passes. His decision-making was also poor, and made life far too easy for the United defence. Salah was little better. His hold-up play was below-par, he wasted any little space he had and could have no argument with his late substitution. It was a real shame, as the opportunity was there for the taking for Liverpool, and their defence had played really well, while Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum controlled the midfield. The problem for Jurgen Klopp is that neither Daniel Sturridge, Xherdan Shaqiri or Divock Origi look particularly sharp and capable of slotting into the starting XI and replacing either Mane or Salah on Wednesday night against Watford.