Selfish Moment, Loud Reactions: Salah Under Fire After Liverpool’s 5-1 Rout in Frankfurt
23 October 2025
Selfish Moment Sparks Fan Backlash
Liverpool fans launched a fierce attack on Mohamed Salah after a telling moment in the Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt where he chose to shoot instead of passing to Florian Wirtz. A striking moment that drew a chorus of disbelief from supporters watching on.
Salah started on the bench as the match kicked off on Wednesday; the Egyptian forward was brought on in the 74th minute, replacing Hugo Ekitike as Liverpool built a late lead.
It was the first time Salah had started two consecutive matches on the bench in the Champions League since 2017, a contrast to his usual role, including the previous match against Galatasaray.
With Frankfurt scoring early, Liverpool answered with three quick goals in nine minutes by Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, and Ibrahima Konate, before Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai added two more in a 5-1 victory.
What Salah Might Have Been Trying To Do
As the match wore on and Liverpool led 5-1, Salah, who had entered the attack in the second half, looked set to create or score again. In the 90th minute, with Florian Wirtz lurking, he chose to shoot rather than pass, missing the chance to set up the German forward for his first Liverpool goal since joining last summer for a reported 116 million pounds.
The decision drew fresh criticism on social media and in the press, with fans arguing the pass would have been smarter and could have boosted Wirtz’s confidence at a time Liverpool needed his finishing touch as much as his talent.
Liverpool's manager Arne Slot later explained the substitution and the tactical choices, but supporters remained vocal about Salah’s recent form. He has three goals and three assists in 12 appearances this season, a dip from last year’s 34 goals and 23 assists in all competitions.
Why Salah Deleted His Post
In the aftermath, Salah made a curious social media move as he removed a photo of himself in a Liverpool shirt from his X profile and replaced it with vacation pictures with his daughters. The shift sparked speculation that the change was a protest at the managerial decision to leave him out or his role in the squad’s evolving dynamic.
British and international outlets interpreted the move as a sign of frustration over coaching decisions and his role in the team’s future plans, echoing past moments when Salah used cryptic messages while contract discussions were underway with the club.
As Liverpool seek to halt a three-match losing run in the league ahead of a showdown with Brentford, fans will be watching Salah’s form and the team’s tactical evolution under Slot with heightened interest.
Punchline 1: If Salah keeps shooting like this, Liverpool might start selling tickets to his own crossbar show.
Punchline 2: Maybe the pass button in Salah’s brain is temporarily on vacation; the team’s next big test will be whether his shots finally learn to share the spotlight.