Daniel Sturridge urges Arne Slot to 'go all the way' with Liverpool change as Mohamed Salah claim made

Daniel Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge believes Arne Slot should start all three of his big summer signings together for the first time in the Premier League in Saturday's match at Leeds United (5.30pm kick-off).

And the former Liverpool favourite has opened up on the pain he feels at seeing his old team-mate Mohamed Salah benched.

Salah found himself as a substitute for the second game running on Wednesday when the Reds played host to Sunderland.

But after a lacklustre first half, he was thrown into the fray at half-time.

the Anfield legend was unable truly to inspire Liverpool, who snatched a 1-1 draw when Florian Wirtz's shot deflected in off Nordi Mukiele with nine minutes of normal time remaining.

That capped another encouraging performance from the £116m signing but it was an evening to forget for the player whose transfer eclipsed that of Wirtz.

The £125m Alexander Isak had kept his place in the side ahead of £69m man Hugo Ekitikeafter opening his Premier League account for the club in the 2-0 triumph at West Ham United on Sunday.

But Isak never looked like adding to his tally against the Black Cats in midweek and was replaced late on by Federico Chiesa after a brief cameo alongside Isak, Wirtz and Salah.

And Sturridge, speaking on Sky Sports as part of their coverage of the match, said:

Sturridge

“I’m not the manager, I can’t decide what I believe he will do, but I’m saying if you’re going to change the formation and play slightly different then I would go all the way with it”

“Say, ‘okay, let’s have a look at Ekitike and Isak up top and see whether that’s the answer’. If you’re going to leave Salah out again then I would try something different, have Wirtz in a number 10 behind them and see if that can open a few doors.”

It was the first time in Salah's illustrious Liverpool career that he found himself among the substitutes for a consecutive Premier League fixture.

Another ex-Red, Jamie Redknapp, speaking alongside Sturridge in the Sky Sports studio, claimed that the Egyptian superstar could leave the club, even as early as January.

But while Sturridge disagreed with that, he did admit his old team-mate looks unhappy.

Sturridge said "You never know in football, but I'd like to think not.

"Has he been performing to his level? No he hasn't, but nobody else has.

“He wants to be the reason they win, attackers are driven that way and Mo has delivered that at the club.

"But I am not quite sure he is the reason why Liverpool aren't (winning) - last season he was the reason they won the league and now we are quick to question (him).

"It hurts me to see. I can tell he is not happy and you wouldn't be because you are used to being the main man.

There comes a time when there is a decision to make, but I don't think this is the stage we are at. The club and Salah can turn it around."

While the draw with Sunderland did make it back-to-back games without defeat for the Reds, ahead of the tricky trip to a Leeds side on a high after their shock 3-1 win at home to Chelsea, their performance raised more questions that answers.

And Sturridge said: “I don’t think there’s a magic fix right now, to put my finger on one thing. I think the manager, at this moment in time, doesn’t quite know his best XI.

“Players are coming back and trying to find their fitness. Wirtz is trying to get sharp again; Isak’s not completely sharp at his level; we saw Joe Gomez come in tonight at right-back, he’s not been on the pitch starting games in a while.

“So collectively, players are finding their rhythm but the team’s finding their rhythm.

“And many people, including the manager, are probably seeking confidence and assurances that ‘this is what I’m going with, this is the structure’."

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