Jamie Carragher handed verdict over 'selfish' Mohamed Salah claim after Liverpool legend clash

Jamie Carragher has found himself at the centre of a storm for branding Mohamed Salah 'selfish' as the 32-year-old chose to speak out about his Liverpool contract this week. While the clock is ticking away to resolve the matter, the Reds face two of their toughest games of the season this week against Real Madrid and Manchester City.

This all stemmed from Salah making the rare decision to stop and talk to the waiting media, including the Echo, after his match-winning brace at Southampton on Sunday. There he revealed his disappointment at not yet being formally offered a renewed contract by Liverpool chiefs, and he is 'more out than in' approaching seven months before his current deal is due to expire.

In turn, club legend Carragher was disappointed in the Egyptian international himself. Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, he explained: "I am very disappointed with Mo Salah. That interview last night... Liverpool have Real Madrid in midweek and Manchester City next weekend. That's the story for Liverpool right now.

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"And Mo Salah, we're aware - certainly the local reporters near the club - that in seven years he's stopped in the mixed zone twice. That's absolutely fine. But he stops for the third time away at Southampton on the back of winning Liverpool the game and putting that out.

"If he continues to put comments out or his agent continues to put cryptic tweets out, that is selfish. That's thinking about themselves and not the football club."

Here our writers give their verdicts on whether Carragher's assessment of Salah's latest statement is fair or if it is an overreaction.

James Quinlan

Carragher might be partially correct in that everything Salah has said has come at an unfortunate timing, but he's taken it a step too far - or two, or three, or four. You get the picture.

I don't think anything Salah said will detract from any preparations the squad are making for their big games this week, nor can the player be unfairly hounded for speaking the truth.

The club and all the decision-makers - need to be the target for all disappointment as they should not have allowed this situation to unfold as far as it has. How is there yet to be a contract offer? Salah's, Virgil van Dijk's and Trent Alexander-Arnold's futures all in disarray and we're nearly at Christmas - just one of them sorted by now might have been encouraging but it is becoming a ridiculous joke.

I see no malice or motive behind Salah revealing his love for the club and his desire to stay - if anything, any Liverpool supporter should be jubilant over this news.

He clearly wants the offer, hopefully Liverpool can actually show the same commitment their best player does without fail and the process is given a kick by the events early this week. Carra's got this one wrong.

Matty Hewitt

I'm honestly baffled by the ongoing furore around Salah's contract. Offer the man fresh terms. He's shown no sign of slowing down and will rightly go down in history as one of the best-ever players to play for the Reds.

I understand in part, the condemnation of Salah for stopping in the mixed zone having done so less than a handful of times, and yet, his comments were expressing his desire to stay at the club. I don't feel he did so in a manner that was out of order, nor was it on the back of a defeat when the troops are down.

Liverpool are flying and I don't feel like the 'Egyptian King' would have done so, had he not been backed into a corner.

Why on earth have the club allowed themselves to get to a position where three influential players are out of contract in the summer and with very little indication as to who of the trio will be staying. Perhaps, that silence tells you everything you need to know? Could Van-Dijk and Alexander-Arnold be quiet due to being offered new terms?

Has Salah felt the need to ramp up the pressure? There are so many more questions than answers at this stage, but as for Carragher's comments, he's got this one wrong.

Matthew Abbott

The only thing stranger than Salah stopping in the mixed zone was how strongly Carragher condemned him for doing so 24 hours later. His disappointment at Salah's dissatisfaction with his current contract situation seemed an overreaction, especially considering that the Liverpool legend had time to digest them rather than immediately responding.

While the Reds' former vice-captain stopped short of calling Salah's conduct selfish, suggesting that description would be fitting should the comments continue seemed harsh at this stage. Referring to Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, and the cryptic tweets he has purportedly been sending seemed unfair, especially as he has repeatedly played down rumours about anyone having inside information or citing sources close to his client.

Abbas Issa made that point in mid-September and reiterated that stance earlier this month, during international breaks when a lack of domestic football often leads to increased speculation about players' futures. Salah's agent, notably, used social media much more akin to how Carragher claims during previous contract negotiations with the club, which concluded in the summer of 2022.

Anything Salah says about the situation generates inevitable interest, but that is because there is a lack of information about what is happening. The same goes for Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk. For that, the club only has themselves to blame.

Tom Coley

Salah has done all he can both on and off the field to try and get Liverpool to make a move. He has played the situation perfectly from a PR perspective, and by doing so he has called the club out. And so he well should. It is very hard to place any blame at Salah's door.

He is in a strong position to ask for pretty much whatever he wants right now. He has remained relatively quiet whilst going about his business on the pitch, but time is starting to run out. Carragher can be frustrated at the timing but Salah is only looking out for himself and frankly, who can blame him.

Liverpool have had a long time to make progress and to involve Salah closely. That he feels alienated enough and backed into a corner this much is their fault entirely. He has a future to fight for and if that means going directly out against Liverpool then if anything it shows how determined he is to force something through.