“You Don’t Get Unlimited Credit” – Van Dijk Warns After Salah Dropped Again

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says Mohamed Salah’s back-to-back omission from the starting XI should remind every player that reputation alone guarantees nothing in Arne Slot’s squad. His message lands at a moment when the club’s talisman is enduring one of the quietest spells of his Anfield career.

Salah started on the bench for the win at West Ham and again for the 1-1 draw with Sunderland, marking the first time he has not opened consecutive league matches since arriving in 2017. Even after coming on for the second half at Anfield, he struggled to influence the game, extending a run of five matches without a goal.

For a player who has delivered 250 goals for Liverpool and never finished a season with fewer than 23, the downturn is stark. Just two goals since September 17 and seven in his last 30 outings have opened the door for Slot to rotate him, a decision that would have been unthinkable in most previous seasons.

Van Dijk didn’t shy away from the significance of the moment, acknowledging that even a club legend is not immune to competitive pressure. The captain stressed that performance, not past accolades, dictates who plays. He described Salah as disappointed but insisted that frustration is normal for any elite player who drops out of the lineup.

Slot’s side had hoped their gritty win at West Ham would spark a revival after losing nine of their previous twelve, but the flat showing against Sunderland halted that momentum. The team again required a late spark, this time from Florian Wirtz, whose deflected strike rescued a point in the 81st minute. Liverpool invested around 116 million pounds to bring Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer and, despite inconsistent form, the young midfielder is beginning to resemble the dynamic creator they expected.

Van Dijk praised Wirtz’s steady progress, calling him a world-class talent who needs time and a calm mind as scrutiny increases. The defender warned against judging attackers purely on goals and assists, arguing that numbers rarely tell the full story of a player’s contribution. His comments gesture toward a broader theme around Liverpool’s season: inconsistency, not effort or ability, is undermining performances across the group.

The situation raises difficult questions for Slot. Can Liverpool rediscover their attacking rhythm with a misfiring Salah? Does rotating one of the squad’s biggest figures help spark intensity, or risk unsettling dressing-room balance? And with pressure mounting after recent results, how long can the manager wait for solutions to show up on the pitch?

For Salah, the challenge is both familiar and foreign. He has endured dips before, but rarely one marked by reduced minutes and tactical reshuffling. Van Dijk was clear that the team still needs him, calling him a leader whose quality remains unquestioned. Liverpool’s captain also emphasized that the squad must lift their own level to help him regain rhythm, suggesting the issue extends beyond one player.

As Liverpool navigate a turbulent stretch, the spotlight will intensify on how Slot manages his star forward’s form and morale. With fixtures piling up and expectations unchanged, the coming weeks may determine whether Salah’s slump is a temporary blip or the beginning of a more permanent shift in his role.