Carragher urges Salah to speak out after van Dijk calls Liverpool a ‘mess’

Jamie Carragher has urged Mohamed Salah to speak publicly about Liverpool’s collapse in form, suggesting the forward has been too quiet during the club’s worst Premier League run in a decade.

Liverpool have lost six of their last seven league games, including Saturday’s dismal 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield. After the match, captain Virgil van Dijk delivered a brutal assessment, calling the champions a “mess” and urging teammates to be “angry” about their current performances.

Carragher believes those remarks were necessary — but says Van Dijk should not be the only senior figure taking public responsibility.

Salah signed a contract extension with Liverpool on 10 April 2025, tying him to Anfield until 2026–27. The deal is believed to be the biggest in Liverpool’s history, worth over £380,000 per week.

Carragher referenced Salah’s remarks last year, when the forward claimed he was “probably more out than in” during the final months of negotiations. At the time, Carragher criticised him for being “selfish,” although the argument disappeared as soon as Salah fired Liverpool to the Premier League title.

This season, however, Salah has remained silent despite the team’s slide into 11th place and an 11-point gap to the top of the table.

The former Liverpool defender argued that senior stars must provide accountability, especially when expectations are high and performances nosedive.

Van Dijk has been the loudest voice in the crisis, publicly demanding higher standards from the squad. Carragher believes Salah — arguably the club’s most recognisable figure globally — should reinforce that message.

In a dressing room struggling for belief, star players speaking with urgency can shape the mood as much as performances on the pitch.

Having covered Liverpool closely throughout the Klopp and Slot eras, it’s clear that leadership at Anfield has always been multi-dimensional. In our view, Carragher’s criticism isn’t about media obligations — it’s about emotional accountability. Salah is not just a goalscorer; he’s the face of the club.

Although some argue that leadership happens privately, other indications point differently: when elite players speak publicly during crisis periods, it sends a message that standards are non-negotiable. This seems optimistic for a team struggling to find rhythm, but the symbolism matters.

From experience watching Liverpool under pressure, silence from big names creates a vacuum — and the only voice in that gap right now is Van Dijk’s.

This season has been turbulent. New signings like Isak and Wirtz have underperformed, Liverpool’s structure has broken down, and the defence has conceded too many high-value chances. Arne Slot has insisted the responsibility is collective — and Carragher’s challenge essentially echoes that.

Salah’s platform is massive. A strong, honest statement from him would steady supporters and reinforce accountability within the squad.

Liverpool host PSV in the Champions League before travelling to West Ham. If results don’t improve, pressure will grow not only on Slot, but on Liverpool’s senior stars to lead publicly and internally.

👉 Liverpool fans — should Salah speak out, or should leadership remain in the dressing room?