It's time for Mo Salah to be benched

It wasn't just defeat that hurt Liverpool at Anfield - it was the message that followed. Jamie Carragher didn't hold back. After the 2-1 loss to Manchester United, the former Reds defender warned Arne Slot that Mohamed Salah can no longer be an automatic starter.

"We're at a stage now where Salah shouldn't be playing every game," Carragher told Sky Sports. "He can still be in your best eleven, yes, but not every week. You have to manage him."

"If you lose four times in a row, you need to be concerned," admits Slot

Carragher reminded everyone that even Klopp used to take him off when his spark faded.

"That says it all," he added. "There was a time Salah could have a poor game and still stay on. Now he shouldn't be the first name on the team sheet."

The setback against United was Liverpool’s fourth straight loss in all competitions, their third in the Premier League, and it has cost them top spot.

They've slipped to third, four points behind Arsenal - a dramatic collapse for a team that only weeks ago looked in control.

Former Manchester United and England full-back Gary Neville, speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, shared Carragher’s unease.

He, too, sees something changing in Salah...

"It's not physical, it's technical," Neville said. "He still looks sharp, still runs hard, but his control, his finishing, his crossing… they're off. There were moments today when I thought, 'that's not Mo Salah.'"

Neville was surprised not by fatigue, but by a drop in the Egyptian's precision.

"Salah could play until he's 52 and still have good technique," he said. "That's why this is so strange."

Liverpool need an immediate reaction.

And maybe, for the first time in years, Salah needs a breather.