Mohamed Salah has made two appearances for Trabzonspor and Turkish football has already reached the stage of debating whether signing Mohamed Salah was a good idea.

The 34-year-old made his first start for the club on Thursday night as Trabzonspor lost 1-0 at home to Ferencváros in the first leg of their Europa League play-off. Salah had previously played the final 32 minutes of the opening league draw against Kasımpaşa.

His full debut was not without opportunities. André Onana’s long pass sent Salah through on goal after eight minutes, only for Dénes Dibusz to save his effort, while the Egyptian remained involved in much of Trabzonspor’s attacking play as they attempted to recover from Kristoffer Zachariassen’s first-half winner.

It was enough for the first assessments of his Trabzonspor career to become considerably more ambitious.

Sözcü reported that Salah’s performance had divided supporters, with some arguing that he looked some way removed from the player who starred for Liverpool and questioning whether breaking the club’s previous transfer policy to sign him had been a mistake. Others pointed out that he had played only twice and had arrived without a complete pre-season, suggesting there might be some value in allowing him slightly longer.

The Turkish media was similarly unable to settle on a verdict.

A Spor columnist Zeki Uzundurukan described Salah as Trabzonspor’s most ambitious, courageous and combative player against Ferencváros, arguing that virtually everything the home side created during the first half involved him. Another analysis suggested Trabzonspor’s problem was not Salah’s performance but their reliance on him while he was still building fitness.

Trabzonspor therefore reached an unusual point in Salah’s career remarkably quickly.

After one substitute appearance and one start, there are already arguments that the transfer was a mistake alongside arguments that he was the team’s best player.

Salah spent eight years at Liverpool establishing whether he was any good.

Trabzonspor have required two games to begin the discussion again.