Salah has endured an unusually quiet spell in front of goal, scoring only once in his last 11 Premier League appearances, as Liverpool’s attacking output from the flanks has declined this season.
Slot said the dip in productivity from wide players such as Salah and Cody Gakpo should not be viewed in isolation, arguing that Liverpool’s build-up play has not consistently created the conditions for them to thrive.
“It’s not only about that individual,” Slot said before Friday’s clash with Wolves. “If we don’t generate enough from the sides then maybe we don’t switch the ball fast enough, we don’t bring them into enough open situations to improve these players.”
Salah and Gakpo have combined for just 11 Premier League goals this season, a sharp drop from previous campaigns when Liverpool relied heavily on wide forwards for scoring. Last season alone, Salah netted 29 league goals while Gakpo contributed 10.
The Egyptian winger’s recent struggles mirror a wider trend across the Premier League, according to Slot, who noted that most of the league’s top scorers are central strikers rather than wide players.
Slot said modern defensive systems have made life increasingly difficult for wingers.
“It’s the hardest position to play in current football, being a winger, because there are so limited spaces and the players you face are so good,” he said, pointing to faster and more physically dominant defenders.
Liverpool’s attacking patterns have also shifted following the arrivals of central strikers Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, placing greater emphasis on play through the middle and reducing reliance on goals from the wings.
Despite criticism over Liverpool’s slow starts and reduced attacking fluency this season, Slot rejected suggestions that his side has become less aggressive going forward.
“I am the same manager as last season,” he said. “All the years I’ve been a manager, my team scored among the most goals every season, except for this one.”
Slot added that Liverpool’s struggles to create chances are not unique, arguing that the physical intensity and tactical discipline across the Premier League have made attacking football increasingly difficult.
“Everybody is struggling with that and we are struggling with that as well,” he said.
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