Oliver Brown of the Telegraph has pointed the finger at two Liverpool stars following the defeat to Man United. His assessment of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk struck a nerve precisely because it landed too close to home. These are Liverpool’s immovable figures. The men once described as untouchable now finding their names in headlines containing words such as “liabilities”.

Contract Gold or Future Burden

It was meant to be a victory for long-term vision when Liverpool tied both men down to enormous contract extensions last summer. As Brown reports, “Salah’s alone is worth £50m until 2027, while the captain is scarcely the poor relation on £350,000 a week.” At the time, many called it overdue gratitude for two icons. Now, questions are louder. Were Liverpool too sentimental at precisely the moment ruthlessness was required?

Brown notes two moments that summed up the issue. “Van Dijk tracked back so dozily that Amad Diallo had time and space to weight the perfect pass for Bryan Mbeumo to strike.” Then came Salah’s miss, “his only two options were to score or square the ball to Florian Wirtz, contrived to do neither”. Supporters worldwide collectively sighed. These were not isolated errors, they were symptoms.

Decline or Temporary Dip

The coldest line in the piece landed with brutal accuracy. “Salah, 33, looks barely 20 per cent of the winger who electrified Liverpool’s title-winning campaign.” While harsh, the numbers provide little defence. One non-penalty goal in seven games. Van Dijk “visibly lost a yard of pace”. Nobody expected both to remain immortal at 34 and 33, yet nobody expected the slide to appear this soon.

Roy Keane’s verdict came with trademark severity. “He signed a big contract, then you’re giving up loads of goals,” he said. “Always start with the man in the mirror.” That quote will travel far, and it will sting Van Dijk more than he would care to admit.

Slot’s Dilemma

Arne Slot, outwardly at least, remains calm. “After games like these, it’s quite normal that people focus on individual players,” he said. A diplomatic shield, but one that cannot last forever. For all their legacy, Brown poses the question no manager wants to face. When does loyalty become liability?

Liverpool’s model is built on calculated timelines. Players are sold at their peak value before the curve bends downward. In this case, emotion overruled mechanism. Now Slot must navigate whether trimming minutes for legends is a necessity rather than a scandal.

Legacy on the Line

Supporters show no appetite for turning against either man. As Brown writes, “they have so much credit in the bank that most Liverpool supporters would not even dream of turning against them.” But tributes can quickly turn to eulogies if decline becomes permanent rather than fleeting.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

Let us be blunt. This article hurts because it might be right. Liverpool fans spent years defending Salah and Van Dijk against every rival criticism. Now the criticism is coming from within.

There is genuine fear that Liverpool trapped themselves emotionally. These contracts were meant to symbolise stability during the first season without Jurgen Klopp. Instead, they now look like golden handcuffs, locking Slot into selections that no longer sit comfortably.

The worst-case scenario is obvious. Slot becomes too respectful to rotate them. Their form continues to dip, yet they play every week out of obligation. That is how decline spreads through a dressing room.

Supporters still believe Salah can explode again. He has made a career out of silencing doubters. Van Dijk too, even on bad days, organises better than most defenders in the league. But this is now about consistency, not reputation.

Liverpool fans desperately want this to be a blip rather than the beginning of the end. If both rebound, this article becomes a humorous overreaction. If not, Oliver Brown’s warning may be remembered as the moment denial died.