Opinion: Carragher looks foolish again with Salah comments

Jamie Carragher just can’t help himself. Following Liverpool star Mohamed Salah’s highly publicized comments on his difficult 2025-26 season, the former England defender had the weekend to prepare another scathing attack in defense of his beloved club.

“I thought it was a disgrace”@Carra23 on Mohamed Salah’s comments after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Leeds. pic.twitter.com/VsCRJGtnBg

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 8, 2025

And launch a scathing attack he did. A regular vocal critic of the Egyptian during difficult moments in his up-and-down relationship with the club, the pundit brought up Salah’s uneventful time at Chelsea and labeled him as selfish for the timing of his comments as he left for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt.

Carragher lacks any credibility when it comes to Salah and African football

And the forward’s national team performance is where Carragher decided to reserve his most pointed barb. Suddenly turning into an expert on African football, the pundit referenced Egypt’s storied history as the most successful team at the Africa Cup of Nations and pointed out that Salah did not have a hand in any of their seven AFCON conquests.

It was an odd turn from the armchair “expert”. In fact, Salah was the center of discussion back in February when Carragher said that the Liverpool legend would have to win a UEFA Champions League in order to have a proper claim to the Ballon d’Or because the Africa Cup of Nations was not a “major tournament” in the Englishman’s eyes:

🗣 “I was clumsy with my language.”

Jamie Carragher on earlier remarks that AFCON is not a major tournament

🎥 @CBSSportsGolazo pic.twitter.com/IqIeDQ9swD

— OMUTEGEKE | 🇺🇬🎙️ (@CliveKyazze) March 5, 2025

“I think the problem is the fact he’s with Egypt, and he’s probably not playing in the major tournament as such, or maybe got a great chance of winning, I think it’s either the Champions League or the major tournament. Normally, the player who excels in that.”

How about that? The same guy who said that the AFCON is not a major tournament is now using Egypt’s recent history at the competition to indict Salah. Of course, it is a horribly informed opinion that only exposes Carragher as the worst of the many English pundits who view everything in football through an Anglocentric lens. Fittingly, other former English stars like Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen have fallen in line to attack the Egyptian as well.

A frequent commentator for UEFA Champions League matches where he always loves to present himself as a fun-loving clown alongside fellow pundit Micah Richards, Carragher all of a sudden turns into an attack dog when his beloved Liverpool are under fire. His comments on Salah this year more resemble a jealous ex-lover than any sort of objective analysis. The clown makeup transforms into a serious frown at the mere mention of the Egyptian’s name.

Even Richards, hardly known for any sort of serious or insightful analysis, had to stand up and push back when Carragher labeled the AFCON, beloved by not only African but football enthusiasts around the world, as a lesser competition.

Perhaps he has a point in relation to Salah’s relationship with Liverpool. Nobody can argue that the superstar and his agent are very good at advocating for their cause in public, but these days it is essential for players to express their side of the story in the modern game where there is hardly such a thing as loyalty between player and club. Allegiances change rapidly due to increasing expectations and pressure and the Liverpool and Egypt’s star comments provided a rare and authentic glimpse into what has gone wrong.

🚨 BREAKING: Mo Salah UNLEASHES on Arne Slot & Liverpool bosses in BOMBSHELL interview 💣 💥

Direct quotes from Mo tonight:

– “I said many times I had a good relationship with the manager… after the sudden we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why.”

– “I’m sitting on… pic.twitter.com/QFnqmx8A00

— J Stewart (@triffic_stuff_) December 6, 2025

There is no doubt that the Liverpool star can come across as aloof or closely guarded in public comments while perhaps lacking the required characteristics of a team captain or leader for the Reds. As somebody who cares very passionately about his former club, the pundit knows the history between player and club well even if he clearly has a personal issue with Salah.

But in fact, referencing the struggles at Chelsea earlier in his career is a perfect example of why players need to advocate for themselves when a hack like Carragher comes after them with clearly biased viewpoints. When pundits have an agenda against a certain player or club, they will happily throw away any objectivity and cherry-pick moments from the subject’s career as “evidence” that they are correct and superior to the many social media “experts” who are happy to express their opinion.

In the end, there are plenty of arguments to be made from both sides regarding Salah’s fractured relationship with Liverpool and current coach Arne Slot. Perhaps he is trying to get Slot fired with his comments as Carragher claims, it is clear that the coach-player relationship is at its lowest point.

Also, criticism of the forward’s performances at the AFCON have merit. But doing so in the context of Egypt’s history at the competition is blatant ignorance and rings hollow when examining the recent increase in competition and quality of African football as well as the AFCON.

Hypocritically using the continent’s showpiece tournament in his reasoning against Salah only exposes the former England player’s proud ignorance of African football as well as his lack of credibility when he attempts to produce serious football analysis.