Newcastle legend Alan Shearer was critical of Mohamed Salah's "awful" first half for Liverpool away to Manchester City in the Premier League game staged at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The two title rivals played out a thrilling 2-2 draw, with the Merseyside charges twice coming from behind twice to earn a vital point that keeps them close to the Citizens on the table.
However, despite criticizing the Egypt captain for his struggles in the opening half, Shearer went on to laud him for the impact he had, when he set up Sadio Mane for the leveler moments after the half-time break.
"At half-time, I looked at some of Mohamed Salah’s numbers: no shots, no crosses, no dribbles completed, and far too many examples of giving up possession," the now 51-year-old told the Athletic.
"By his own standards, he was pretty awful; and then he comes onto the pitch and shapes the perfect pass that sets up the equaliser."
The Pharaohs attacker has now gone five matches in all competitions without a goal, but the ex-England striker believes it is just a matter of time before the 29-year-old gets back to his best.
"Greats like Salah can never be written off and it’s only a matter of time before he gets back on the goal trail. He can pull brilliance from nowhere," Shearer concluded.
This season, Salah has scored 20 goals in the Premier League and provided 11 assists.
In the Champions League, the winger has managed to find the back of the net on eight occasions after being involved in nine matches. He might add to these numbers on Wednesday when the Reds host Benfica in the second leg of their quarter-final.
During the last first leg in Portugal, the former English champions secured a 3-1 win, and they will be keen to have a positive outcome to make it to the semis of the annual competition.