Mo Salah

Sandikan said:
They call it second syndrome season for a reason.
He was unlikely to be treated the same as teams did last year - he's the one they make double sure on now. Very possibly why Mane started so well, more space for him.

If only we had twin wingers like this. Rather than a number 10 on the right wing, and an out of form winger the other side, or even worse, Rashford who isn't a winger in a million years being shoehorned in.
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I find symmetry is one of the most Underrated aspects of tactics. The same type of player doing the same thing on both sides.

I think Salah & mane doing almost the exact thing on either side of the pitch is better than for example having hazard cutting in on one side and having willian sticking wide on the other. Same with Sterling & Sane to me being better than playing Sterling & Bernardo silva on either side. Same as how Bale & Ronaldo did the same thing or David Villa & Pedro did on either side of the pitch.

We do have players that can play in some sort of symmetry but they need to play as forwards -

Martial - Rashford
Sanchez

All has a level of similarities between them that to me that would be harder to defend against because defending against one is going to open space for another - like marking Salah does for Mane.

It's why Lukaku to me whilst not a bad player - playing him centrally as our target man breaks any cohesion due to the positions everybody else has to take to supply to him.
 
Aloysius's Back 3 said:
I find symmetry is one of the most Underrated aspects of tactics. The same type of player doing the same thing on both sides.

I think Salah & mane doing almost the exact thing on either side of the pitch is better than for example having hazard cutting in on one side and having willian sticking wide on the other. Same with Sterling & Sane to me being better than playing Sterling & Bernardo silva on either side. Same as how Bale & Ronaldo did the same thing or David Villa & Pedro did on either side of the pitch.

We do have players that can play in some sort of symmetry but they need to play as forwards -

Martial - Rashford
Sanchez

All has a level of similarities between them that to me that would be harder to defend against because defending against one is going to open space for another - like marking Salah does for Mane.

It's why Lukaku to me whilst not a bad player - playing him centrally as our target man breaks any cohesion due to the positions everybody else has to take to supply to him.
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Unfortunately in Jose's time, we've seen zero symmetry. One full back sits deeper, one pushes on. Someone like Mata cutting in, while the let winger is more progressive, meaning Valencia has to patrol the whole of the wing.

The whole thing looks in tatters at the moment, it'll no doubt take a few more transfer windows and talk of 4-5 players being needed as per the last however many years.
 
He's probably just off to a poor start. I hope it continues and it dents his confidence for good though.
 
There were a few situations yesterday where he snatched at a chance, where last season he'd have just calmly passed it towards the corner. If he gets a bit of confidence back he'll be fine.
 
He’s only one goal worse off compared to the same stage last season. He was heavily involved yesterday but didn’t have a great day as far as his finishing was concerned.

If he starts to become invisible in games then I’ll show some concern.
 
Halds said:
Yep. Worrying. Looks nothing like last season so far. We need him, and the other two, to hit last seasons form if we want to challenge.
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I think he'll be fine, but in any case I reckon Liverpool might be that bit stronger for not depending on him as much as last season.
 
Klopper76 said:
He’s only one goal worse off compared to the same stage last season. He was heavily involved yesterday but didn’t have a great day as far as his finishing was concerned.
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It's perhaps a fair point but he had being at a new club and getting used to the way they play as a reason.

Personally, I reckon he'll be a good player but not the world beater he looked for one season.
 
He's obviously still a good player but I'm quite sure last season was an 'anomaly'. The guy broke the fecking PL goalscoring record. I repeat, Mo fecking Salah broke the PL goalscoring record.

I reckon he'll hit 20 goals this season in the PL and 30ish in all competitions.
 
Some of his turns and one-twos were trademark Salah. Lovely to watch. The final ball/shot was not ideal but that will come. I specially liked the way he sped and muscled past the Chelsea defender to get a clean shot on target only for Rudiger to clear.
 
Couldn’t do anything right tonight. I’d like to see him benched for Shaqiri, let him refresh or whatever.

Tbf this is the first time he’s failed to get involved at all. He was at least involved against Chelsea.
 
Wow he's really shit when he's shit. Wonder how long it's going to last.
 
Hope you all remember he had a slow start last season as well...

I would like to think the attention he's going to get this year will make it very difficult for him though.
 
Did he make a mistake "doing a Ronaldo" too early in his career?

He had just really one great season as a winger/creator/dribbler before changing his style immediately next season to a goalscorer. I think he definitely had at least one or two more seasons as a great winger before trying a different role. I don't think he has it in him to be a regular great goalscorer until end of his career.
 
Klopper76 said:
Couldn’t do anything right tonight. I’d like to see him benched for Shaqiri, let him refresh or whatever.

Tbf this is the first time he’s failed to get involved at all. He was at least involved against Chelsea.
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Dont worry about that, Salah's career is over. He is the next Michu or Dani Güiza.
 
Last season when our midfield drove forward with the ball he'd find space, receive the ball take on one or two defenders, dribble cut in and shoot. This season he's doing it but double thinking about it waiting to find other people in the box and then loses it on edge of box, fecked up a lot of our attacks really. His shooting has been tame as well.

I don't know what Klopp will do with him, maybe Shaqiri can start but that wasn't meant to be the role for him, and if he comes in and we lose at the end i.e Chelsea league cup. then people will question why he didn't play Salah. He's become undroppable really a bit like Lukaku is at United.
 
Last season he was naturally finding space and those key passes.

He's trying to force everything.
 
I find it hard to believe that last season was just an anomaly. Something isn’t right at the moment with him, but I do think he’ll be back amongst goals at some point this season.
 
I don't doubt that he could find form again, but it's funny how many were so quick to dismiss he could be a one season wonder. Could go either way at the mo.

crossy1686 said:
Hope you all remember he had a slow start last season as well...
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They'd only just bought him then though.
 
It was always going to be hard to maintain the level of his breakthrough season. Now it could be a one hit wonder type of season or it could just be he’s exhausted from last year mentally and just can’t produce the same level this season.

Next season will tell us what his true level really is. Have a feeling this year might be a write off for him in terms of statistics but might come good by the end of the season. Definitely looks burnt out at the moment and should be dropped or perhaps just played up top. His workrate out wide isn’t of the same level at the moment.
 
I think he is always good for 10-15 goals a season which is normal for a good winger, but I doubt if he is a consistent 40 goals a season world class player.
 
Klopper76 said:
He’s only one goal worse off compared to the same stage last season. He was heavily involved yesterday but didn’t have a great day as far as his finishing was concerned.

If he starts to become invisible in games then I’ll show some concern.
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yesterday he was simply awful
 
I think he's just returning to his true level. Surely most people saw this coming? I think he just had a very good one off season. Still a good player, but not in the discussion of the best in the world which some people wanted to claim he was.
 
Judas said:
I think he's just returning to his true level. Surely most people saw this coming? I think he just had a very good one off season. Still a good player, but not in the discussion of the best in the world which some people wanted to claim he was.
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I wouldn't be so quick to write him off.

I don't think many will dispute he had an unusually excellent season last year and would do well to reach those same highs again this year, but despite how supposedly awful he has been this year he has 3 goals in 8 games and is high up on the 'big chances missed' stats again (he topped it last year). That would suggest that despite a dip in form he's fundamentally still doing what got him a bag full of goals last year.

He probably won't get 44 goals again this year, but it would take an exceptionally prolonged period of being absolutely dog shit for him not to get himself a bag full again.
 
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I think he'll comfortably get over 20 goals, which would still be impressive. I expect all of Liverpool's attacking players to get plenty unfortunately.
 
Sunny Jim said:
To me he has lost a yard of pace and confidence. He needs some rest and a fluky goal.
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I would be surprised at 26 he has lost his pace as he is just about entering his physical prime, but he looks knackered and heavy legged. If he doesn't get some rest, he might just pick up an injury or two and lose a little of his explosiveness. Last season, his finishing was amazing, but in the past, this hasn't been so. Perhaps last year was indeed a one season wonder. Even last season after Christmas, he didn't contribute that much when he wasn't scoring.
 
Judas said:
I think he'll comfortably get over 20 goals, which would still be impressive. I expect all of Liverpool's attacking players to get plenty unfortunately.
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They'll need a shot on target to do that :D
 
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