Jurgen Klopp has played down concerns over the form of contract rebel Mohamed Salah
Speaking ahead of the derby against Manchester United, as quoted by Liverpool Echo, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has played down concerns over the form of struggling superstar Mohamed Salah.
Klopp’s men take on Manchester United in the Premier League tonight as they look to keep the pressure on Manchester City in the Premier League title race. Every game is crucial for the Reds as they hope to see the Cityzens slip up.
The Reds are coming off the back of a resounding 3-2 win against Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup and will be hoping to continue the good form in tonight’s clash.
One player who has struggled in recent weeks to keep up with his performances has been Mohamed Salah. After weeks and weeks of flawless performances, the Egyptian has hit a kind of a rut with no goals in each of his last three PL and UCL games.
There are fears that his contractual dispute with the Reds might be affecting Salah, with his contract non-renewal saga dragging on for too long. The 29-year-old winger has been sensational for the Reds since joining from AS Roma in 2017, showing levels of consistency that had elevated him to superstardom at Anfield.
Speaking about his talisman’s sudden dip in form, Klopp said:
“It’s a completely normal spell he is going through. We’ve spoken about the physical demands. I liked the game against City a lot, it was a really good football game, only a question of time before he scores again. He’s been close enough a couple of times.”
“We have had plenty of talks over the time we have worked together and at this specific moment there is no need to talk about the situation, just the normal stuff about what he has to do in the game and all these kind of things.”
Time to step up?
There is no denying that Salah’s performances have had a downwards trend in the past few weeks however Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his talisman is back to his best for the crucial part of the season.
Salah’s importance to Liverpool is immense. He is by far the most important player in a team of superstars and has been brilliant this season, already having 28 goals and 11 assists in 41 matches across all competitions this campaign.
The Egyptian will have to go back to producing such numbers if Liverpool are to succeed in their hunt for the unprecedented quadruple this season
It remains to be seen how the Reds approach the Salah contract saga. Do they give in to keep their best player at the clubs at all costs or have a look at the past and consider how they have coped when they have sold arguably their best player, Philippe Coutinho, back in 2018 and decide to stand firm on their stance is a question left to be answered.
As long as the Egyptian is at Anfield, he will have to continue delivering. Ideally, we are hoping both parties are able to achieve a middle ground that is comfortable for both parties and Salah starts playing like the player that we know he is very soon.
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Salah has a chance to become a hero once again when he comes up against Manchester United in a much-awaited derby. He scored a hat-trick at Old Trafford earlier this season and a similar performance at Anfield will surely send the fans into a frenzy.
