Topic: Mohamed Salah - Best in the World *

[The G in Gerrard]

28 goals in 43 games this season. Decent.

[Enders]

28 goals in 43 games this season. Decent.

Pace goals don't count

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Scores again. No-one seems to care

But if he misses a chance there are novels written about it

Personally, I find it hard to get excited about him after the circus that’s followed him around all season. It wasn’t long after his interview with AS when our season just turned to shit

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like fans who get on his case all the time either, I think he’s an excellent player, and he’s carried us to success probably more so than any other player on this team. I think his legacy with this club will be forever remembered, for some of the amazing things he’s done. And I like him too, all the good things he’s done outside the club for fans around the world.

But I don’t buy that what his agent says has nothing to do with him, he’s a fully grown man. If he didn’t want his agent to say all those things he could have told him to shut up, never mind doing his own interviews airing dirty laundry in public.

[Eeyore]

Personally, I find it hard to get excited about him after the circus that’s followed him around all season. It wasn’t long after his interview with AS when our season just turned to shit

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like fans who get on his case all the time either, I think he’s an excellent player, and he’s carried us to success probably more so than any other player on this team. I think his legacy with this club will be forever remembered, for some of the amazing things he’s done. And I like him too, all the good things he’s done outside the club for fans around the world.

But I don’t buy that what his agent says has nothing to do with him, he’s a fully grown man. If he didn’t want his agent to say all those things he could have told him to shut up, never mind doing his own interviews airing dirty laundry in public.

Sadly it is the way of the world these days. When players are looking to negotiate a new deal their agents talk up the possibility of them leaving to strengthen their negotiating position. The thing is clubs do exactly the same. Stories get leaked to favoured journalists about who a Club is looking at.

[The G in Gerrard]

Scores again. No-one seems to care

But if he misses a chance there are novels written about it

He's been undervalued by Liverpool supporters since the first season imo.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Sadly it is the way of the world these days. When players are looking to negotiate a new deal their agents talk up the possibility of them leaving to strengthen their negotiating position. The thing is clubs do exactly the same. Stories get leaked to favoured journalists about who a Club is looking at.

That happened with Gerrard, yes, but I remember he never publicly spoke out about the club or its’ servants at the time, even though we knew the interest was real. So you had a groundswell of supporters chanting for him to stay, versus a Sterling, for example.

I hate this, because I really like the man. But there just needs to be more class when it comes to things like this.

[Ghost Town]

Personally, I find it hard to get excited about him after the circus that’s followed him around all season. It wasn’t long after his interview with AS when our season just turned to shit

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like fans who get on his case all the time either, I think he’s an excellent player, and he’s carried us to success probably more so than any other player on this team. I think his legacy with this club will be forever remembered, for some of the amazing things he’s done. And I like him too, all the good things he’s done outside the club for fans around the world.

But I don’t buy that what his agent says has nothing to do with him, he’s a fully grown man. If he didn’t want his agent to say all those things he could have told him to shut up, never mind doing his own interviews airing dirty laundry in public.

Did you actually read the interviews? There was barely any laundry in them, dirty or otherwise, especially the second "interview" which looked like it was done during 5 mins waiting in a queue somehwere. Sounds like you've been taken in by all the pointless blather around it. A player with as much fame and such a worldwide profile as he has will do intervews from time to time. People read far too much into this sort of thing, almost like they want all the drama and chatter that is confected.

As for the claim that the interview played any part whatsoever in the derailment of our season, that's got to be just about the biggest load of bollocks in a season notable for the grandeur of the bollocks on display. Post hoc ergo propter hoc, and all that stuff.

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Did you actually read the interviews? There was barely any laundry in them, dirty or otherwise, especially the second "interview" which looked like it was done during 5 mins waiting in a queue somehwere. Sounds like you've been taken in by all the pointless blather around it. A player with as much fame and such a worldwide profile as he has will do intervews from time to time. People read far too much into this sort of thing, almost like they want all the drama and chatter that is confected.

As for the claim that the interview played any part whatsoever in the derailment of our season, that's got to be just about the biggest load of bollocks in a season notable for the grandeur of the bollocks on display. Post hoc ergo propter hoc, and all that stuff.

Of course I’ve read the interviews and his agent’s comments. You could argue from your perspective, sure, but your dismissive nature of other posters is frankly annoying to say the least. But this is not personal, it is just my view on this subject, so you can be rude if you wish, but I will not respond in kind. His (and his agent’s) comments are out there, it’s not a narrative created by others for us to read.

[palimpsest]

Salah scores--the only constant this season. Incredible player.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

There is always some type of drivel about him in this thread,.

Fantastic season considering we create very little for him

[amir87]

Greedy, selfish Salah should have squared the ball to Jota at the end.



Oh.

[Ghost Town]

Of course I’ve read the interviews and his agent’s comments. You could argue from your perspective, sure, but your dismissive nature of other posters is frankly annoying to say the least.

Dismissive of posters? No, not all, I don't know them, or you, so I would not dream of dismissing anyone as a person (apart from Fordy and Fromola, of course - joke! ). Dismissive of some of the utter shite that is posted? Certainly. But I'm as likely to be agreeing with and backing the same poster 5 minutes later in another thread. It's entirely content based.

But this is not personal, it is just my view on this subject, so you can be rude if you wish, but I will not respond in kind. His (and his agent’s) comments are out there, it’s not a narrative created by others for us to read.

Like I said, people get too carried away by things like this. There's no single way for footballers and agents to behave. It's a variable feast, and it means nothing. 99% of the received wisdom about these things is invented, and then people begin to take it as gospel and start reacting accordingly. It's all drama for the sake of it. And sadly a lot of people seem to like being part of it.

And the suggestion that Salah's interview affected our season is, I repeat, premium-grade bollocks

[Bend It Like Aurelio]

Dismissive of posters? No, not all, I don't know them, or you, so I would not dream of dismissing anyone as a person (apart from Fordy and Fromola, of course - joke! ). Dismissive of some of the utter shite that is posted? Certainly. But I'm as likely to be agreeing with and backing the same poster 5 minutes later in another thread. It's entirely content based.
Like I said, people get too carried away by things like this. There's no single way for footballers and agents to behave. It's a variable feast, and it means nothing. 99% of the received wisdom about these things is invented, and then people begin to take it as gospel and start reacting accordingly. It's all drama for the sake of it. And sadly a lot of people seem to like being part of it.

And the suggestion that Salah's interview affected our season is, I repeat, premium-grade bollocks

We will not know the goings on behind the scenes of this season until the next retiring player writes their autobiography. But I know for certain that the interviews and comments that came from them did not help, it would have only had a negative impact. How much? I intimated that the timing is there to suggest that it did, but yes, I would have no way to prove it. In that respect you’re right. As a club that prides itself on unity however, I don’t like it when something like this happens. Especially considering that he is arguably our most important player too.

On the other hand, I do think that there is a narrative of him out there that is unsavoury, to say the least, which also affects how our fans view him. I think it stems from his style of play and the number of chances he spurns. But he creates a lot of those chances on his own, and many don’t realise or see that at all. To those I feel it’s a case of you won’t know what’s missing until it’s gone.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

The number of chances he spurns is also a massive exaggeration because we have been creating fuck all compared to our previous years. Look at his conversion rate and compare it to the other attacking players in the league

[Red_Rich]

Just love the lad and I fully appreciate him, his honesty and his effort for the team as well as his goal return.

The idiots having a go at him are the same people who think we're going to go and replace him with Mbappe or Haaland.  ie delusional dickheads.

[west_london_red]

Thing is even if he or his agent are angling for a move, where’s he going to go to? Barcelona definitely can’t afford him, Real Madrid probably can’t with with the impact Covid has had on Spain, Bayern don’t tend to spend that kind of money on anyone, I’m sure he wont go to Man City, so all that leaves is PSG, that’s literally the only club he can go to. I wouldn’t completely dismiss that, especially if Mbappe leaves, but his options are very limited is he does want to leave.

[Hedley Lamarr]

Hes one of our greatest players, in a shit season hes still a shining light. Offer him whatever he wants tomorrow.

[afc tukrish]

Did you actually read the interviews? There was barely any laundry in them, dirty or otherwise

So, just like, a knicker, rather than the whole pair of knickers?

[CalgarianRed]

He is the only one in the team whose level hasn't dropped from last few seasons (not counting injured players ofc). His consistency is incredible.

Also if you look across Europe, all top strikers are in their 30's and still at the top of their game: Lewa (32), Messi (33), Ronaldo (36), Benzema (33). Salah is at their level and his fitness record is top notch. This suggests Salah will most likely continue at same level for 3-4 years easily. If we offer him a contract he wants, he will sign no doubt about it.

Replacing him will be very tough especially with Mane and Firmino struggling for goals this season. Also he is global superstar with a huge following, which adds to his value.

[FlashGordon]

The only person with a better instinct to score a goal is Cristiano Ronaldo. He follows up when no one else does. What a killer.

[Big Dirk]

To think some headers on here think we should sell him

[jepovic]

Hes one of our greatest players, in a shit season hes still a shining light. Offer him whatever he wants tomorrow.

It could  even be argued that this is his most impressive season.

[JackWard33]

He is the only one in the team whose level hasn't dropped from last few seasons (not counting injured players ofc). His consistency is incredible.

He should be getting a lot of credit for this - it’s obviously been an incredibly hard season for the squad and it’s barely affected him.
He was relentless today with his running and showing for the ball as he is every time he plays for us

[afc tukrish]

He should be getting a lot of credit for this - it’s obviously been an incredibly hard season for the squad and it’s barely affected him.
He was relentless today with his running and showing for the ball as he is every time he plays for us

Thought he looked more mobile, too; several runs across the front line to try to find space.

Definitely looking to create things with his movement...

[vivabobbygraham]

To think some headers on here think we should sell him

Oh, mate, that's fucking mild compared to the loonies slagging Klopp, calling him out etc. I predict a riot...

[bornandbRED]

Doesn’t get anywhere near enough credit from the wider footballing diaspora. Bet Kane hates him as he outshines him every season since he came to us.

[keano7]

He’s absolutely phenomenal. If he had the finishing ability of Messi he’d probably average 35-40 a season easily. Has the knack of being in the right place at the right time which sets him apart from others.

[nayia2002]

I understand other fans and pundits undervaluing/underestimating him but can't "get it" from our fans???!!!
No Salah = mid table team
His been absolutely incredible last 4 seasons

[Ghost Town]

So, just like, a knicker, rather than the whole pair of knickers?

Don't think I've ever seen a single knicker...or a single trouser. What's Tom Davies's view on this?

[kloppismydad]

Carrying the attack pretty much on his own this season, and he must be glad Jota is back to share some workload!

As others have stated, he is a phenomenal player, and we should rightfully be offering him the contract he desires. He has always spoken highly of the supporters and the club, and I doubt he has any reason to leave. If we don't make the top 4, I can guarantee he'll be among the ones bursting his gut next season to get us back in the CL.

The Egyptian King, indeed.

[RyanBabel19]

Truly incredible player. Never seen someone so consistent get so little recognition

[keyop]

It could  even be argued that this is his most impressive season.

It certainly could. He's already equalled his league goals from last season, which is insane when playing in a side unrecognisable from our powerhouse of 2019/20. He has more goals in Europe, and is on track to break into the top 10 all time Liverpool goalscorers next season. He is never injured, despite getting kicked and pulled by the neanderthal clubs in the league, and even when playing badly he creates space for others with his pace and movement. He's on track for a 3rd golden boot in 4 years, and his goal against West Ham should win goal of the season by a mile.

One of our greatest signings of all time. Sign him up for the rest of his career.

[Red_Mist]

Since he joined us, he’s scored 92 premier league goals in 138 appearances.

...which is exactly 2 goals every 3 games!!! 

(Cheers to the brilliant lfchistory.net)

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

Another piece by one of the two Athletic puppets having digs about our best players hours before our most important game of the season and defending the owners position of not giving him a new contract because, "look what happened to Özil and Aubameyang at Arsenal". Almost like someone is sending these "blame Salah" messages for when the decision is made to sell him you'd think.

[Knight]

I don’t want to sell him but if you used the money to bring in Sancho and another top class 9/ wide forward fans shouldn’t need propaganda from the club to see why that might be good succession planning. The issue with selling Salah is he’s not the one who’s fallen off a cliff. It’s Mane and Firmino who are the concern.

[Jookie]

One of our greatest signings of all time. Sign him up for the rest of his career.

Salah, van Dijk and Fabinho should be the priorities for players whose contracts expire before summer 2023.This season has shown how fundamental the 3 are to our future success over the next 3-4 years.

Van Dijk's absence has been huge and there for all to see. As a knock on effect the moving of Fabinho to centre back exemplified how good the player is at both CB and DM at the same time. Salah has shown consistently over 4 seasons now that he's a goalscorer. You can see the effect on the team of other players goalscoring dropping this season. Salah has been able to excel when we were an attacking machine in 2017/18, the more measured approach in 2018-2020 and the struggling team in 2020/21. Feel likes it's imperative that you keep a player on board who guranteess minimum 20-25 goals per season.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

I don’t want to sell him but if you used the money to bring in Sancho and another top class 9/ wide forward fans shouldn’t need propaganda from the club to see why that might be good succession planning. The issue with selling Salah is he’s not the one who’s fallen off a cliff. It’s Mane and Firmino who are the concern.

It would be ludicrous to sell Salah and keep the other two considering the fact that no one at the club currently has Salah's goal contributions, no one is even close and there is no guarantee that any replacement outside from the likes of Mbappe or Haaland would be able to match that and we all know we ain't getting these two.

[Knight]

It would be ludicrous to sell Salah and keep the other two considering the fact that no one at the club currently has Salah's goal contributions, no one is even close and there is no guarantee that any replacement outside from the likes of Mbappe or Haaland would be able to match that and we all know we ain't getting these two.

It all depends on finances. We might not have a choice. We need to refresh the front 3, especially Firmino and perhaps Mane. But neither of those 2 will justify a big fee given their recent travails. We know Salah will fall off at some point and even if he doesn’t for a while or only does slowly this is our last chance to cash in on him. If we can afford to spend £100 million + on forwards without selling Salah then super. But I expect we can’t.

Sancho is about as sure a thing as you’ll get which helps. You’d definitely need to be bringing in someone like Sancho (or mbappe/ Haaland obviously) to justify selling Salah that’s for sure.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

It all depends on finances. We might not have a choice. We need to refresh the front 3, especially Firmino and perhaps Mane. But neither of those 2 will justify a big fee given their recent travails. We know Salah will fall off at some point and even if he doesn’t for a while or only does slowly this is our last chance to cash in on him. If we can afford to spend £100 million + on forwards without selling Salah then super. But I expect we can’t.

Sancho is about as sure a thing as you’ll get which helps. You’d definitely need to be bringing in someone like Sancho (or mbappe/ Haaland obviously) to justify selling Salah that’s for sure.

Selling Salah to buy Sancho is absurd given the fact that Sancho is not in the same class as Salah. Sell your best players to buy a player that could one day be as good as him? Makes sense.

If you sell Salah and replace him with mbappe or Haaland, you still have two other players who have dropped off in form, and are still in the same situation. In essence you've solved nothing.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

Selling Salah to buy Sancho is absurd given the fact that Sancho is not in the same class as Salah. Sell your best players to buy a player that could one day be as good as him? Makes sense.

If you sell Salah and replace him with mbappe or Haaland, you still have two other players who have dropped off in form, and are still in the same situation. In essence you've solved nothing.

Thank you for saving me a response. Selling Salah under every metric would be stupid.