In the cutthroat arena of football punditry, where opinions fly faster than crosses, few clashes cut deeper than one between legends. Sam Allardyce has unleashed a scathing tirade against Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher, rubbishing the Sky Sports pundit’s claim that Mohamed Salah’s “legs have gone.” The row erupted after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over West Ham on November 24, 2025, where Salah was controversially benched by manager Arne Slot. Slot admitted post-match that the Egyptian star was “unhappy” with the decision, but Carragher’s analysis on Monday Night Football lit the fuse: “Salah looks like his legs have gone.” Allardyce, the no-nonsense former England boss, didn’t mince words: “Stop it. He should know better. That’s an absolutely pathetic statement.”
The match itself was a gritty affair at the London Stadium, with Liverpool grinding out a win courtesy of a Darwin Núñez header and Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick. Salah, 33, entered at halftime but couldn’t find the net, his influence muted against a resolute Hammers defense. Slot’s call raised eyebrows—Salah has 12 goals and 8 assists in 14 Premier League games this season, leading the scoring charts. “Mo’s form is world-class; rotation keeps him sharp,” Slot defended, but the benching fueled speculation of a rift. Carragher, a Liverpool stalwart with 738 appearances, doubled down on Sky: “The catalyst for Liverpool’s 2018 run under Klopp was Alisson, Van Dijk, and Salah. Alisson’s injured a lot now, he doesn’t play so much. Van Dijk’s not the same player, and Mo Salah looks like his legs have gone.”
Allardyce, 70, the Bolton and West Ham savior known for his pragmatic “Big Sam” style, exploded on talkSPORT the next morning. “He’s good at throwing it out there for a bit of popularity—to keep himself on the front end of it. That’s a disgrace. His legs haven’t gone. How can his legs go from what he did last year, having the summer off, and then his legs go this year? How can that happen? It doesn’t happen overnight. How does he know anyway? He doesn’t train with him, he doesn’t watch him train. He sees him play, and he might not be doing so well, but that’s like many of the Liverpool players. [Newcastle’s Alexander] Isak hasn’t played well, so have his legs gone already?”
The spat underscores the high bar for Salah, who at 33 remains Liverpool’s talisman, his 188 goals making him the club’s third-highest scorer ever. This season’s dip—three goals in his last eight—stems from a hamstring tweak in October, not decline. “Mo’s vision and work rate are timeless,” Slot insisted. Carragher, 47, a Champions League winner with 38 goals in 464 games, has faced backlash before for Liverpool critiques, but Allardyce’s shot feels personal—a dig at “popularity” echoing Carragher’s Sky salary (£1.5 million annually).
Fans are split. #DefendSalah trended with 500,000 posts, supporters slamming Carragher as “bitter ex-player,” while neutrals praised Allardyce’s “common sense.” Salah, ever classy, posted a training clip: “Legs strong, heart stronger.” Liverpool, third after 13 games, face Arsenal next— a win could silence doubters.
Allardyce’s blast isn’t just punditry—it’s a plea for nuance in an era of hot takes. “Jamie’s a legend, but this? Lazy,” he added. Carragher hasn’t responded, but the wound festers. In football’s echo chamber, words wound deeper than tackles. Salah’s legs? Still running. The debate? Far from over.
