Topic: Mohamed Salah - Best in the World *

[MonsLibpool]

All competitions yes, the numbers above are PL only

I put his PL NPG in brackets.

[JC the Messiah]

AFCON 2025 is in July/August. It's mad that it's so frequent, but at least it's not in the middle of the season this time. 

[Jookie]

im not convinced peak Suarez (13/14) is better than,say, Salah 17/18.

Salah’s playing in a much better team so it’s harder to stand out. But he still stood out head and shoulders above everyone.

Suarez played in 36 games all season. Much easier to put everything into 36 games. Even with less games he was knackered and went missing in some of the last few games of the season.

Salah banged 11 goals in 15 CL games so that negates any argument around pens v non pen goals.

Salah’s availability was better. Suarez missed 5 games at start of the season due to lack of discipline. Did missing the draw v Swansea and loss v Southampton ultimately make a difference? We’ll never know but good argument that if Suarez is available for those games we have a few more points in the bag for the title challenge. Remember he’s only out due to his own lack of discipline.

He also started the season by asking for a transfer to Arsenal. Does that make any difference to his play in 2013/24? Maybe, maybe not. It’s still part of his 2013/14 season though.

Suarez was unbelievable in 2013/14 but there’s a misty eyed view of him that season. I think due to the unexpected nature, excitement and romanticism of the 2013/14 league challenge.

I won’t argue against it being one of Liverpool’s best individual season in my time watching the club. But miles better than Barnes 87/88, Gerrard 05/06, Salah 17/18 or VvD 18/19? Not for me. It’s in that bracket though.

[SamLad]

Disgusting how people label him a diver when he's the exact opposite of a diver. He gets manhandled countless times a game. Heard a clip of that wally Simon Jordan saying Salah "is a fair weather player and he dives".  Jordan often talks about media making up narratives and having nothing to back up what they say. Fairweather player?  What a load of bullox. He's stood up season after season right when we needed him. Talk about reacting to the moment. In his time at Liverpool I can remember Salah going down easily, or diving, once. Once. Contrast that to Kane, Vardy, Deli Ali, Rashford, Saka, Maddison. I wonder why Salah gets labelled a diver and they dont

I have a theory .....  Mo smiles too much. 

9 times out of 10 when he gets pulled down, he reacts with a smile.  so a lot of refs / media morons see that as a "oh well, I tried to trick them" reaction instead of realizing it is just how he is - he also smiles most times when he misses a shot.  I've seriously never seen a footballer who smiles so much.

you can count on 1 hand the number of times he's lost his cool, no matter how he's been banged about by oppo bastards.

[JC the Messiah]

I have a theory .....  Mo smiles too much. 

9 times out of 10 when he gets pulled down, he reacts with a smile.  so a lot of refs / media morons see that as a "oh well, I tried to trick them" reaction instead of realizing it is just how he is - he also smiles most times when he misses a shot.  I've seriously never seen a footballer who smiles so much.

you can count on 1 hand the number of times he's lost his cool, no matter how he's been banged about by oppo bastards.

But when they see him in a headlock but don't blow a foul, the smile is saying "you're a joke" to the ref.

[SamLad]

But when they see him in a headlock but don't blow a foul, the smile is saying "you're a joke" to the ref.

yeah but they interpret him smiling so as to suit their "cheating forriner" bias. 

I love his love for the game, but sometimes wonder if it works against him -- if he'd get angry with the shit he puts up with every game maybe it would it have made a difference in the calls he doesn't get.

[faisfais]

Better than Suarez? Interesting.

If I had to choose between Suarez & Salah for a one-off game, I would pick Suarez.
If I had to choose between Suarez & Salah for an entire campaign, I would pick Salah.

Does that make sense?

[Zlen]

I’d pick Suarez for anything. Just simply a better player.

[smutchin]

I’d pick Salah. He may be 32 and therefore only fit for the knacker’s yard but Suarez is 37 ffs!

[Garlic Red]

Suarez over Salah all day.

Suarez was simply unplayable in almost every area of the pitch — you couldn’t keep him out of the action and he caused panic throughout entire sides when he played and regularly punished the mistakes.

Salah’s been brilliant over the years but there’ve been too many games over the years where I’ve thought he’s stinking the gaff out and he gets a goal almost out of the blue. It’s a great quality to have but give me the player who’s going to destroy a back line and elevate his teammates all day. The player he became at Barcelona was ridiculous. He deserved a Ballon D’or in 2016 but Ronaldo was at his peak and the Euros win with Portugal (how bad were they?!) meant he ended up romping it, but it was an all time season from Suarez.

[kesey]

In simple words .

Fuck him off.

[kop306]

suarez is probably our second best ever premier league player after stevie

ive never seen a player score the goals that suarez did

his work rate was unbelievable

we nearly won the premier league because of suarez

all of our forwards now lack the bite that suarez had

[kesey]

all of our forwards now lack the bite that suarez had

 

[JC the Messiah]

Still amazed at some Liverpool fans posting in this thread.

[Keith Lard]

Level of disrespect that’s been thrown at Salah in the media is very typical and predictable

[Redbonnie]

im not convinced peak Suarez (13/14) is better than,say, Salah 17/18.

Salah’s playing in a much better team so it’s harder to stand out. But he still stood out head and shoulders above everyone.

Suarez played in 36 games all season. Much easier to put everything into 36 games. Even with less games he was knackered and went missing in some of the last few games of the season.

Salah banged 11 goals in 15 CL games so that negates any argument around pens v non pen goals.

Salah’s availability was better. Suarez missed 5 games at start of the season due to lack of discipline. Did missing the draw v Swansea and loss v Southampton ultimately make a difference? We’ll never know but good argument that if Suarez is available for those games we have a few more points in the bag for the title challenge. Remember he’s only out due to his own lack of discipline.

He also started the season by asking for a transfer to Arsenal. Does that make any difference to his play in 2013/24? Maybe, maybe not. It’s still part of his 2013/14 season though.

Suarez was unbelievable in 2013/14 but there’s a misty eyed view of him that season. I think due to the unexpected nature, excitement and romanticism of the 2013/14 league challenge.

I won’t argue against it being one of Liverpool’s best individual season in my time watching the club. But miles better than Barnes 87/88, Gerrard 05/06, Salah 17/18 or VvD 18/19? Not for me. It’s in that bracket though.

Misty eyed? He was unplayable and he was  at that level consistently for Barcelona albeit in a different role to accommodate Messi. One of the greatest ever strikers who came into form on our pitch.

[spider-neil]

I would pick peak Salah over peak Suarez any day. Oh, and you have the added bonus of Salah not being a c*nt or having a weird fetish for human flesh.

[A-Bomb]

I would pick peak Salah over peak Suarez any day. Oh, and you have the added bonus of Salah not being a c*nt or having a weird fetish for human flesh.

Just imagine if they had played together, now that would have been something.

[amir87]

Level of disrespect that’s been thrown at Salah in the media is very typical and predictable

It's no worse then what some so-called Liverpool supporters are saying about him which is the saddest bit.

[mickeydocs]

I’d pick Suarez for anything. Just simply a better player.

Salah is a better player for Liverpool, no discussion.

[Pistolero]

Suarez was the best individual talent I've seen for Liverpool.

Salah had a better Liverpool career and one of the best but he was no Luis Suarez in terms of talent for me.

Yep, I'd go along with that...

[Jookie]

Misty eyed? He was unplayable and he was  at that level consistently for Barcelona albeit in a different role to accommodate Messi. One of the greatest ever strikers who came into form on our pitch.

What Suarez did at Barcelona is of absolutely no consequence to who’s a better Liverpool player.


Here’s what both did in their 1st full 3 seasons at Liverpool. Excluding Suarez’s 1st half season makes his stats look better.

Luis Suarez

122 appearance
78 goals
36 assists
1 POTY season
15 games missed through suspension
1 x League Cup


Mo Salah

155 appearances
94 goals
38 assists
1 POTY season
0 games missed through suspension
1 x Champions League
1 x Premier League


Now I could raise other aspects like controversy brought on the club, how missing games through suspension (availability is a key trait) may have cost us points and titles, putting in transfer requests etc. but thought I’d leave them out.

1st 3 seasons collectively is Suarez that much better than Salah? Stats alone would say not. Salah scored more, assisted more and won more. Maybe due partly to the fact he didn’t miss 15 games through suspension.

Is Suarez’s peak season better than Salah’s? Probably.

Is Suarez’s 1st full 3 seasons better than Salah’s 1st full 3 seasons? Arguable in my opinion.

That’s why I called it misty eyed when people look back at Suarez. People loved the excitement of that 13/14 team with Suarez as the catalyst. Much like Suarez as a Liverpool player that team was ultimately flawed. But people are still engrossed by the excitement of that season. Arguably more so than the more methodical nature Salah and the 2017-2020 Liverpool went about their business.

No right or wrong in this though. It’s just an opinion and observations.

[PaulKS]

The amount of our fans that have turned on him is absolutely baffling, can't get my head around it

An absolute true LFC legend, one of our best ever, and was having a great season yet again up until his injury

For me it's a simple case of taking a while to get back to full match sharpness post a bad injury, nothing more

Delighted he's staying next season

And the "spat" with Klopp shows what a winner he is, it happens, not a big deal

[KC7]

I would pick peak Salah over peak Suarez any day. Oh, and you have the added bonus of Salah not being a c*nt or having a weird fetish for human flesh.

It's an elite standard so it's comparing the best with the best, but I'd probably agree with that (swayed by their comparative contributions to the club).

Mo still has it. POTY contention prior to the layoff, when he came back he has struggled to get back to his level (as has Jones, Jota etc. which Killer Heels predicted), but the acceleration he showed at West Ham was a real positive and its easy to see why Slot (who no doubt has informed the club of his view on this) wants him at the club next season.

The slow, disjointed midfield has to be alot better next season (plethora of 8s bedded in and hopefully athleticism added to the 6 with an addition; plus Bajcetic to come back) and this will make the forwards function better than they have been, Nunez included.

[G Richards]

He will either stay another season and wind down his deal, leave this summer, or sign an extension.

He still has plenty to give so a modest extension might be on the cards, not least to preserve transfer value when we get to summer 2025. But Edwards might not sign off on an extension for a player Mo’s age.

I’m chilled whatever the outcome.

[jonnypb]

First season when I don't mind either way what happens with Mo.  Obviously it would be great to have him back to his elite level and stay, but if we get an offer for a decent amount of money then I think the club would seriously consider it, especially as Mo could go for a free next year if he doesn't extend.

[SamLad]

for those who want him gone or don't care either way - which current player will provide his goals / assists next season?

[Bread]

13/14 Suarez is still the best individual footballer I've ever seen play for this club. Remove his suspension at the start of the season and put him on penalties, and Haaland's 36 goal tally from last season gets made to look average.

Salah is obviously still elite of course, but Suarez was a freak of nature and I wouldn't dream of comparing anyone to him.

[mullyred94]

Just imagine if they had played together, now that would have been something.

Torres and Suarez 

I think Torres still would have been able to hit 15-20 league goals playing next to Suarez.

[stevieG786]

Suarez wanted to leave us for Arsenal ffs. Fuck him

Salah is clear

[classycarra]

Suarez wanted to leave us for Arsenal ffs. Fuck him

Salah is clear

Salah wanted Chelsea over us, fuck him

Alonso wanted Madrid (as player and manager) over us, fuck him too

(am I doing this right?)

[mullyred94]

Suarez wanted to leave us for Arsenal ffs. Fuck him

Salah is clear

Your name sake almost left us for Chelsea also.

[newterp]

Your name sake almost left us for Chelsea also.

Oooo...that's a bit awkward. 

[Buster Gonad]

for those who want him gone or don't care either way - which current player will provide his goals / assists next season?

Chris Wood?

[jillcwhomever]

I would pick peak Salah over peak Suarez any day. Oh, and you have the added bonus of Salah not being a c*nt or having a weird fetish for human flesh.

I agree, not disputing Suarez was a great player for us, but it was everything that came with him that was just annoying.

[yes]

Using one metric that's been repeatedly brought up Neil Mellor was a better player than Suarez because he never bit anyone.

[Hazell]

Level of disrespect that’s been thrown at Salah in the media is very typical and predictable

It's no worse then what some so-called Liverpool supporters are saying about him which is the saddest bit.

I'm astounded by that as well.

[b_joseph]

It's no worse then what some so-called Liverpool supporters are saying about him which is the saddest bit.

There has always been a lingering dislike for him from certain parts. Right now, they have their moment to be bold with it.

Its almost like his first season led to tall poppy syndrome with them. The Souness quotes are ridiculous but expected sadly

[Wool]

There has always been a lingering dislike for him from certain parts. Right now, they have their moment to be bold with it.

Its almost like his first season led to tall poppy syndrome with them. The Souness quotes are ridiculous but expected sadly

Yep. All too predictable.

[SamLad]

Chris Wood?

he would?  Chris who?