Darwin is 'killing' Salah says former Liverpool star

Karan Tejwani

• Updated: 14 Oct 2022 08:53 CDT
• 3 min read

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has spoken about how Darwin Nunez’s arrival at the club has impacted winger Mohamed Salah.

The Reds have struggled for form this season but have shown how good they can be in their 7-1 thumping of Rangers in the Champions League.

Salah scored a hat-trick in that clash, while Nunez also scored, making it the second consecutive game he has netted in and giving hope that he can kick on from here.

Enrique, though, feels that Nunez was not the ideal option to get the best out of Salah, especially given that he plays so wide on the pitch.

Enrique speaks on Salah and Nunez

“Mo Salah can definitely use the hat-trick to get back to his best,’ Enrique told Midnite. “In my opinion, the wingers used to be strikers really, close to the centre-backs, and Salah played yesterday as a striker.

“But now with Darwin Nunez it has changed a little bit, he is the one who will run into the spaces and you have the wingers as being more open. For Luis Diaz this is helping him, because he’s that kind of winger, but it’s killing Salah.

“For his confidence he needs goals. So I’m not sure what he’s going to do against Manchester City, it’s going to be interesting.

“Because when he plays that central role, he makes a difference, he scores goals. But it’s definitely a big step, and Salah has to play a central role, not as wide as he’s playing now.”

Enrique then spoke about the decision to sign Nunez, and the pressure that’s on him to bring the output that Sadio Mane brought to the club.

“I think they have a weaker squad than they had last season,” Enrique added. “You need to keep improving. You can lose Mane, even if I don’t understand it, but then they go for a 23-year-old from Portugal.

“It was the first season he played really well in Portugal, and then he’s coming here and you’re giving him all the pressure of a number 9 at Liverpool, and you think he’s going to be like Mane?”