Mo Salah

Scandi Red said:
He turns 33 this summer by the way. It's crazy to be this dominant in the PL at that age when you are a fairly explosive wide forward on top this. It goes to show that age is sometimes just a number.
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Absolutely but I’d hazard (excuse the pun!) a guess that’s it’s probably a combination of genetics and also Salah not really having had a ton of “competitive” miles on the clock as a youngster (by that I mean the type of miles Rooney, Messi and Ronaldo had done in their teens etc).

Alas, whichever way you slice it, he’s a freak of nature and at this point the BPITW this season.
 
Hammondo said:
Was it though? Ronaldo had 1 season with g+a even similar to salahs top seasons.
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I'm not at all convinced either, but I guess you could argue for it.

In any case, peak should not be the only thing that matters. It's merely a point on the list of arguments.
 
Hard to watch as our attackers, combined, haven’t been able to crack 60 goals a season for years now, and probably none will end this season in the double digits for PL goals.
 
Mad how Sterling is 2.5 years younger, hasn't had much injury trouble either, yet is completely and utterly finished.
 
desertegil said:
Could get 50+ in just the league. Has anyone other than Ronaldo and Messi done that in a top league? Perhaps Lewandowski or Benzema?
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Suarez, Ibra.... but would it surprise people if I told you Ciro Immobile is quite high up this too, with 45. :lol:
 
Zen said:
Suarez, Ibra.... but would it surprise people if I told you Ciro Immobile is quite high up this too, with 45. :lol:
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Was that from the year when Serie A went pants-on-head mental and starting giving pens every time a ball hit a hand in the box, regardless of context?
 
V.O. said:
Was that from the year when Serie A went pants-on-head mental and starting giving pens every time a ball hit a hand in the box, regardless of context?
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The Ronaldo years... yes. 15 pens, while Ronaldo also had 13 :lol:
 
His ability to stay fit and somehow avoid injuries is generational and worth £100m on its own. I won’t envy the guy at Liverpool tasked with finding his replacement and definitely not the guy who is the replacement.
 
He tends to go in and out of games which could help him to conserve energy but he's technically superb and incredibly clinical.
He's gonna start to decline now though due to age. Be interesting to see Liverpool's plan to replace him.
 
Scandi Red said:
I think they meant in the PL.

Is it wrong to say that an argument could be made? I still have Henry ahead of him, but it's probably up for debate now.
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If they meant PL then fair enough. It’s him, Ronaldo or Henry isn’t it.
 
2 man midfield said:
If they meant PL then fair enough. It’s him, Ronaldo or Henry isn’t it.
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Yeah meant PL, I think those 3 will be the top 3 for most just depends on order. Personally I think Salah has overtaken Ronaldo now.
 
Maluco said:
Imagine not giving him a contract.
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While it seems like a no brainer, there are some medium to long term risks

If he’s given a huge pay rise, that means a lot of other players in the squad are going to want rises too which inflates the wage bill and any new player coming in will want something substantial. Suddenly the wage bill is huge and you may end up running the risk of having a bunch of players earning mega money with not much on return like at United. If it ends up like Jota, Nunez and Diaz looked better because they had Salah there and without him they don’t look as good and they’re on huge wages and long contracts, then they’re going to be hard to shift.

If he’s given a 4 year contract, you’re banking on him to stay at that level for at least half of that at a minimum. Guy is remarkably averse to injury but never say never, Father Time is still unbeaten etc. He’ll be 33 this year which is getting up there in football years. Committing yourself to a player at that age means you miss out on the younger, emerging talents who will demand to be starting most weeks.

And then there’s the hardest part of all which is determining his mentality. I’ve said in the PL thread but I think Liverpool getting hilariously denied a trophy dynasty under Klopp by City and Real Madrid over the years has kept that team hungry for trophies. If they won a treble this year or a double involving the PL and CL which I imagine would be a massive release of tension after years of not much to shout about trophy wise, are certain members of that team going to have the mentality to do it again? Specifically the older guys who went through it? It’s pretty much a known trope these days that players play well for that juicy contract and then put their feet up once they’ve secured it, added on top of aging player who would have won everything of substance and the hunger has at the very least subconsciously diminished.
 
Chairman Steve said:
While it seems like a no brainer, there are some medium to long term risks

If he’s given a huge pay rise, that means a lot of other players in the squad are going to want rises too which inflates the wage bill and any new player coming in will want something substantial. Suddenly the wage bill is huge and you may end up running the risk of having a bunch of players earning mega money with not much on return like at United. If it ends up like Jota, Nunez and Diaz looked better because they had Salah there and without him they don’t look as good and they’re on huge wages and long contracts, then they’re going to be hard to shift.

If he’s given a 4 year contract, you’re banking on him to stay at that level for at least half of that at a minimum. Guy is remarkably averse to injury but never say never, Father Time is still unbeaten etc. He’ll be 33 this year which is getting up there in football years. Committing yourself to a player at that age means you miss out on the younger, emerging talents who will demand to be starting most weeks.

And then there’s the hardest part of all which is determining his mentality. I’ve said in the PL thread but I think Liverpool getting hilariously denied a trophy dynasty under Klopp by City and Real Madrid over the years has kept that team hungry for trophies. If they won a treble this year or a double involving the PL and CL which I imagine would be a massive release of tension after years of not much to shout about trophy wise, are certain members of that team going to have the mentality to do it again? Specifically the older guys who went through it? It’s pretty much a known trope these days that players play well for that juicy contract and then put their feet up once they’ve secured it, added on top of aging player who would have won everything of substance and the hunger has at the very least subconsciously diminished.
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Yeah, there ate definitely considerations, but he is their best player by an absolute mile, having one of his best seasons ever and there are more and more players finding ways to thrive in their thirties. It’s not Real Madrid where the next big star is ready to go.

He is a machine, and rarely misses any football at all. You take the risk with someone that good. The fact that they haven’t suggests to me that they don’t even realize how important he is to the team. None of their other attackers even come close.
 
Chairman Steve said:
While it seems like a no brainer, there are some medium to long term risks

If he’s given a huge pay rise, that means a lot of other players in the squad are going to want rises too which inflates the wage bill and any new player coming in will want something substantial. Suddenly the wage bill is huge and you may end up running the risk of having a bunch of players earning mega money with not much on return like at United. If it ends up like Jota, Nunez and Diaz looked better because they had Salah there and without him they don’t look as good and they’re on huge wages and long contracts, then they’re going to be hard to shift.
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This doesn't really happen. Especially when the gap of importance from Salah to anyone is so utterly huge. Sure, some teams fall into this trap... but when Rooney asked for his initial wild contract, you didn't get Nani, Berbatov, Rio and Carrick running to demand the same, because the gap was clear and substantial. As it is here. Though that Rooney deal may have fell foul to some of your next points however, especially his next one :lol:

Don't be fooled by Man Utd just throwing out massive contracts willy nilly, that other teams will do either, and especially not Liverpool. They'd just tell them to prove it and we'll talk.
 
Fenômeno said:
Yeah meant PL, I think those 3 will be the top 3 for most just depends on order. Personally I think Salah has overtaken Ronaldo now.
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Before this season I’d have said no way due to Ronaldo’s league titles and Balon D’or, but if Salah wins the league, plus either the CL and balon D’or then he takes it doesn’t he.
 
For me he's neck and neck with Henry as the PL greatest now. Ronaldo obviously a better player but not given enough of his career to the league.

Puts up Henry like numbers, plays on the wing, I'd give a slight nod to Henry cause he did it in a more defensive era. But, If Salah delivers another CL to Anfield he'll be undisputedly no.1.
 
padr81 said:
For me he's neck and neck with Henry as the PL greatest now. Ronaldo obviously a better player but not given enough of his career to the league.

Puts up Henry like numbers, plays on the wing, I'd give a slight nod to Henry cause he did it in a more defensive era. But, If Salah delivers another CL to Anfield he'll be undisputedly no.1.
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How does the CL relate to PL GOAT discussion?
 
Ladron de redcafe said:
It's crazy. He's also now assisted and scored in the same match for the 11th time this season. The last time a player did that for 10+ matches was Messi 10 years ago en route to leading Barcelona to the treble.
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Hazard, who some tried to claim was a better player not so long ago, managed 10 games with at least one goal and one assist across his entire career.

Salah is now the only player in EPL history to have more than one season with 40+ G+A. And it's February.
 
Zen said:
This doesn't really happen. Especially when the gap of importance from Salah to anyone is so utterly huge. Sure, some teams fall into this trap... but when Rooney asked for his initial wild contract, you didn't get Nani, Berbatov, Rio and Carrick running to demand the same, because the gap was clear and substantial. As it is here. Though that Rooney deal may have fell foul to some of your next points however, especially his next one :lol:

Don't be fooled by Man Utd just throwing out massive contracts willy nilly, that other teams will do either, and especially not Liverpool. They'd just tell them to prove it and we'll talk.
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The attitudes of the players of 10+ years ago are not the same as they are today
 
Also on course to break his former record of 32 league goals in a season.

And not really implausible that he could match Haaland's 36 goal season either.
 
He is doing that as a 33 year old while our 32 year old looks like he has troubles putting his socks on in the morning. Liverpool not caving into giving a 33 year old 4 years and 350k a week is just clever management and something we are severely lacking.
 
Was convinced this was going to be his 'lost his legs' year (like KDB is having). Instead, the guy is having the best season of an already exceptional career. Insane athlete. But, he is so ridiculously fit and professional that it should maybe not be a surprise.
 
Ish said:
Absolutely but I’d hazard (excuse the pun!) a guess that’s it’s probably a combination of genetics and also Salah not really having had a ton of “competitive” miles on the clock as a youngster (by that I mean the type of miles Rooney, Messi and Ronaldo had done in their teens etc).

Alas, whichever way you slice it, he’s a freak of nature and at this point the BPITW this season.
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I don’t think that’s it. Compare it to professional sprinters. There was this guy, Frankie Fredericks, from the Maldives or something. He was sprinting in WC 100m finals by the age of 38 or 39.
Those guys have lived for sports from their teenage years too. Most sprinters (and athletes in general) are done by their early thirties, especially the explosive ones, like you say.
I think those exceptions are really down to good genes, and same for Salah.

Besides that, he looks after his body better than many a footballer, guess that helps too
 
He's definitely lost pace over the past few years. He's kept developing his game and plays with a freedom and expressiveness in his game more than ever.
 
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