Do we take Mo for granted?

[Silver Sean]

Quicker to 50 goals than Owen, Fowler, Torres, and Suarez.
Won the League title, and the CL with us (unlike them)
More deadly than Van Nistelhorse and Aguero.
Only Shearer ahead of him.
Scores all types of goals – close range, headers, long shots, one on ones, you name it.
And yet...
He doesn't seem to get the love he deserves. Or does he?

Is it that he was in the PL before? That he plays wide not as a centre forward?
What do you reckon?

 

[Rosco]

Nope. But all those quickest to stats aren't that meaningful.

His first season was outrageously good, it was Messi and Ronaldo good. But then the following season he was great , but not Messi great.

And this season he's only one of the best in the Premier League.

His effectiveness isn't what it was when he first arrived. But he's still excellent.

So there's less excitement about him because his previous two seasons were better than this one.

 

[Aidan O' Neill]

I think it was such a surprise just how ridiculously good he was the first season that people just got used to it. It was kind of the same for Ageuro for City. He was consistently brilliant for years. I don't think most on here take him for granted to be fair. He's fucking brilliant.

 

[Halmeister]

He's a victim of the high standards he set early on, and the sensationalist, knee-jerky opinions of internet keyboard warrior virgins.

Anyone with any semblance of awareness can see how important he is to us.

 

[Athens]

I still reckon it's because he just doesn't look like a footballer.

 

[Holle]

He's like Groundskeeper Willie. Underrated by many but still excellent.

And he even looks like him!

 

[binomial]

I honestly feel it’s because he’s not Mané.

Definitely not because he was in PL before or because he plays wide....just look at the love Mane gets.

He’ll go down as a great, no doubt...maybe it’s because he has so much to improve and his consistency in performing (not goalscoring) is up and down whereas Mane is consistency along with Virgil our top performer.

 

[Richey]

I don't think he is unloved by any means. He is just playing in an all-round better team with lots of other good players. When we had the other players you mention, they were all far and away the best forwards we had and we weren't actually winning very much, so it was kinda a case of 'wow, we are lucky to have them'.

Now of course, yes we are lucky to have Salah, but we are a good team that wins trophies. Of course we have great players. And because of that he doesn't necessarily stand out in the way that Torres or Suarez did.

 

[Red Mullet]

It’s because his bestie is the Lovren

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

He’s great. But at the same time infuriating. He fucks up the simple passes and ball control again and again. Misses easy chances. Has moments of selfishness that cost us goals. Leaves you wondering whether someone else could do better.
And yet here we are with one of the best players of all time at Liverpool. It’s a strange one.

 

[RedStar]

We are not as dependent on him as we were on Fowler, Torres or Suarez in their peak years because its a better team. So to some people hes just not the same heroic matchwinners they were, even though they won less. Thats a form of bias that makes you think other players were better. He scores more goals than any of them and wins us more trophies, there isnt really a counter argument. Hes boss and any team in Europe would snap him up if he were to become available.

 

[Dreambeliever]

I take him for granted for sure.

I prefer Mane and Suarez over him.

 

[MomoWASright]

Nah, Suarez is done.

 

[FoxForceFive]

He's utterly phenomenonal. When he doesn't play or is off form we're massively reduced as a side.

Look at his goals involved (assists & goals) record.

 

[Tinto]

He's utterly phenomenonal. When he doesn't play or is off form we're massively reduced as a side.

Look at his goals involved (assists & goals) record.

Yep, he hasn’t been as good as in previous seasons which is why we haven’t played as well this season despite getting the results.

 

[Mors]

He's a phenomenal talent, but I still think we're not seeing what he's fully capable of, not sure if we ever will. His passing is regularly woeful, he can be stupidly selfish, he constantly tries to pass the ball in, but despite all of that, he's brilliant, runs defenders ragged, makes space for the others, and defenders hate him.
I think if he'd have tidied up a couple of areas of his game, he'd have been in with a shout at the world player of the year most years.
Very lucky to have had him and Suarez back to back. But still, in their pomp it'd be Suarez all day long for me, best player I've seen play for us.

 

[darkstarexodus]

There's no disputing how effective Mo has been. On that basis alone he is a clear legend, all-time type of player.

He's also incredibly one-footed, occasionally selfish, somewhat predictable. And skies far too many simple chances.

But, my God, that record of his is something else. He just gets it done. Over and over again.

I think his strength and durability are very underrated. He is very difficult to move off the ball and rarely misses a match. Also very mentally strong, continuing to want the ball and to take chances even if it's not looking like his day.

 

[Richey]

In fairness, all the other players mentioned also had their flaws, which we would have moaned about at the time.

Owen scored a lot of goals, but he used to go on spells of games when he wouldn't score or even look like scoring, then get two or three in one game. There was always an injury just around the corner too.

Torres would have off days too, and obviously towards the end he lost interest and it showed.

Suarez was usually brilliant but completely unstable. Not much good having a World class player if he is suspended for biting someone or being racist.

Even Fowler had more than his fair share of issues. Injured a lot, would fade out of games, would get himself in trouble for stupid stuff.

When we look back at them it is mostly positive in terms of their playing history with us, and I am absolutely certain it will be the same with Salah. We are unlikely to recall the times when he was overly selfish, or fluffed a pass or missed a sitter. He'll be up there with the rest of them.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Nah, Suarez is done.

Lol I meant when he was at Liverpool.

 

[Rosco]

In fairness, all the other players mentioned also had their flaws, which we would have moaned about at the time.

Owen scored a lot of goals, but he used to go on spells of games when he wouldn't score or even look like scoring, then get two or three in one game. There was always an injury just around the corner too.

Torres would have off days too, and obviously towards the end he lost interest and it showed.

Suarez was usually brilliant but completely unstable. Not much good having a World class player if he is suspended for biting someone or being racist.

Even Fowler had more than his fair share of issues. Injured a lot, would fade out of games, would get himself in trouble for stupid stuff.

When we look back at them it is mostly positive in terms of their playing history with us, and I am absolutely certain it will be the same with Salah. We are unlikely to recall the times when he was overly selfish, or fluffed a pass or missed a sitter. He'll be up there with the rest of them.

The problem with Suarez was that for him to be great wasn't always a positive for the team.

That's why during the seasons we had him we had a better record when he didn't play. As gifted as he was, he wasnt efficient.

You can argue about the merits of individuals ad nauseum but at the end of the day medals will always weigh heavier than individual awards.

Salah now had to be talked about as a Liverpool legend because he's helped deliver a title. Suarez gave us a penalty shoot out win over Birmingham in whatever that second cup is called.

Salah is LFC royalty.

 

[beejay]

The problem with Suarez was that for him to be great wasn't always a positive for the team.

That's why during the seasons we had him we had a better record when he didn't play. As gifted as he was, he wasnt efficient.

You can argue about the merits of individuals ad nauseum but at the end of the day medals will always weigh heavier than individual awards.

Salah now had to be talked about as a Liverpool legend because he's helped deliver a title. Suarez gave us a penalty shoot out win over Birmingham in whatever that second cup is called.

Salah is LFC royalty.

If you swapped the teams around and put Suarez in the current side and Salah in the reverse, the end results might be similar.

Suarez has proved with Barcelona that he can be very efficient and a team player. With top players around him he is a serial winner. Salah would have been prolific running onto Gerrard's passes but with that defence we would still come up short.

That said, I would still pick Mo ahead of Luis because of the balance he gives to a team and for some of the reasons you have outlined. LFC royalty for sure, he is an iconic figure on a global scale and for all the right reasons - we are more respected and liked in this era with Mo Salah running down the wing.

 

[RedStar]

If you swapped the teams around and put Suarez in the current side and Salah in the reverse, the end results might be similar.

Suarez has proved with Barcelona that he can be very efficient and a team player. With top players around him he is a serial winner. Salah would have been prolific running onto Gerrard's passes but with that defence we would still come up short.

That said, I would still pick Mo ahead of Luis because of the balance he gives to a team and for some of the reasons you have outlined. LFC royalty for sure, he is an iconic figure on a global scale and for all the right reasons - we are more respected and liked in this era with Mo Salah running down the wing.

Id love to see Salah get a run of games through the middle at some point, his positioning and the timing of his runs is incredible.

 

[Pesam]

As Ross says, Salah is LFC royalty. I can never understand the amount of criticism he gets..........since he signed for us; he is 2nd (in Europe) only to Messi for goals/assists! Absolute fucking legend and IMO he can be as selfish as he wants because he gets the job done time and time again.

 

[Judge Jules]

Id love to see Salah get a run of games through the middle at some point, his positioning and the timing of his runs is incredible.

I don't agree. It's happened often enough already to demonstrate (IMO of course) that, while he'll always be dangerous, that's not where he's at his most dangerous.

 

[Rosco]

If you swapped the teams around and put Suarez in the current side and Salah in the reverse, the end results might be similar.

Suarez has proved with Barcelona that he can be very efficient and a team player. With top players around him he is a serial winner. Salah would have been prolific running onto Gerrard's passes but with that defence we would still come up short.

That said, I would still pick Mo ahead of Luis because of the balance he gives to a team and for some of the reasons you have outlined. LFC royalty for sure, he is an iconic figure on a global scale and for all the right reasons - we are more respected and liked in this era with Mo Salah running down the wing.

I could win medals if you put me in the Barca team with Messi

 

[FoxForceFive]

I could win medals if you put me in the Barca team with Messi

His conversion ratio is insane, 60%. The best in the PL is usually under 20%, for reference.

 

[rurikbird]

 

[Frogfish]

Perception bias. Our mutating formation/style to enhance the defence has restricted his goal tally for the overall benefit of the team. He's still one of THE key components and we'd be a far lesser team without him.