I get what you are saying @Mascot but even before the injury and before this season, you can clearly see decline there. Its a fact he was productive this year, and perhaps less productive in the last month or so due to coming back from injury. I worry more about his attitude at this point, especially if he is to play a less important role. As @Sweeting menitoned, his defensive work rate has been poor. That screams attitude problem to me. If you are bought in, you are working your ass of for the team. The other thing to consider is what Slot thinks of him or how he sees Mo being utilized. For all we know, Slot sees Mo as an important piece for at least the next season. The recent news of Mo staying may be evidence of that. I donāt know. It just seems to me an Edwards type move to sell a player on the decline and, in turn, reinvest in the squad, especially if there are questions about attitude. Then again, perhaps Klopp absolutley instigated that sideline spat. Itās likely blown out of proportion either way. I love Mo and all he has done for the club. I am certainly not writing him off as he is a physical enigma. However, he has declined and is declining. That is clear. Itās a tough call and one Iām glad Iām not making.
Fuck me, the Daily Mailās website doesnāt even bother putting up a broadsheet pretence.
There is little doubt that he did not return from that injury as well as he, and anyone else would have hoped.
Quite happy to see him stay, as long as he, like any other player, accepts that his form will dictate whether he is in the starting line ups, putting names out their rather than results will only end in tears for everyone.
**Incoming Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes will lead talks over a new contract for Salah, whose current deal runs until 2025. (Times - subscription required)
To my mind, Mo openly disrespected Klopp and should not be offered a new contract. We should be looking to get as much as we can for him, thank him for his seven years of service, and use the money to bring in younger players.
This is the issue for me, he has created a lot, but for each chance created how many times has he lost possession and with his lack of defensive duties it is easy to see why we get opened up a lot down our right.
My take would be to see Mo moved more centrally as he still has the best movement of our forwards and if he loses it centrally, we then have more players for the opposition to play through, also his lack of pace, compared to the young Salah, isnāt as paramount centrally as out wide.
Mo has been an great role model for our club, I didnāt like what happened between him & Klopp, but without knowing what was said, I wonāt take sides.
we just need to be careful we arent offering Mo a new deal based on sentiments.
Hes been poor a while now. Has his legs fallen off? Is he still carrying a knock or just out of form. We dont want to do what we did with Hendo.
Also at 32 he cant earn Ā£400k a week any more.
Unless, of course, the talk of a new contract is to alert potential buyers that may have been considering letting him run his contract down.
I doubt sentiment comes into it anymore.
If Edwards and co believe a new contract works for the club, the offer will be made.
Nah, I highly doubt the move centrally will happen because: a) he doesnāt like playing there, b) we will continue wanting to press from the front and c) heās not really one to play back to goal a lot of the time, link up, etc.
I donāt like him in possession in deep areas, but heās a good presser from the front in his role, though itās true that maybe the time has come for a different combination on the right side of our team. Weāve tried to compensate having Trent and Salah on the same side, both in specific roles, by having a āHendoā type (I hated it when Klopp used other types of players there, total misfit) at RCM.
The central position is even more important defending/pressing wise. Where do teams āhideā their more special players (mostly goalscorers that like facing the goal a lot) that are not proper strikers and not proper wingers? Exactly in the role Salah had all these years. Or play two up top, mainly if it means 3 at the back, which we wonāt do.
Weāll see what Slot has in mind. Just hope itās not some sort of a ā4-2-1-3ā (rarely see that in football anyway), that would leave us too open in midfield. But it could be something assymetrical with Salah a bit higher than the left winger, not too different than so far.
I do think Salahās role has to change. Heās just far too isolated out wide, and not influencing enough of the game.
Slot likes his wingers to do so much work, and thatās another reason why I think his role will be altered.
I think all the stuff around Salah staying is the club putting out their stance to the Saudiās. Weāre basically saying to them, āyou want him? Cough up the money.ā
It is also to be rememberedā¦ Jurgen set up his teams to accommodate MO (strength/weakness) - no guarantee Slotty will do the sameā¦ MO is in the mix, for all we know, he will only be considered a middle of the pack sort of player by the new regime
The contract talks are coming from Joyce which is a pretty reliable source.
I think this idea that Hughes and Edwards are basically playing Football Manager and sell anyone over 30 I think is very wide of the mark.
They will note the data if it tells them this dip is simply down to injury and intensity and that they can get a fair bit out of him still they will keep same goes for VVD, Robbo and Alisson.
The sprint that Mo put in against West Ham told me a lot. He was running away from the chasing pack. Thereās still petrol in the tank.
Yes, he is past peak. Not quite as fast or strong. But we cannot overdo that. The temptation recently was to wonder how much was down to age (some) bad form (some) and slowly getting back from injury (some).
It was a bit of a trifecta.
I would be happy if Salah signed a new deal. It means we get at least one more season from him, maybe more but you have to tread carefully, AND a transfer fee, most likely.
If Slot likes his wingers I can see a younger model coming in - Bakayoko, Williams, someone like that, and Mo will maybe alternate a bit with him, and/or come inside to play more centrally.
Letās see what happens. Mo might sit tight on his current deal and let it expire and assess his options then. Or he may decide on a new challenge this summer. Either way, he is still a very good player indeed.
If anything, Jurgen has been less accommodating to Mo this season, and sacrificed his natural game somewhat. As I said earlier, the hybrid RB role with Trent/Bradley moving into the middle requires Mo to stay wide and a bit deeper. The previous triangle that worked so successfully for so long was predicated on Trent or Hendo overlapping with Mo, taking a runner out the way, allowing him to cut inside. Now thereās rarely such an overlap.
Mo has shown how well he takes care of his body and health - Iāve no doubt thereās still a good few years for him. Extend the deal another year to retain value and see how he gets on with Slot. If Mo wants out, Edwards and Hughes will find the right deal for him.
Iād love to see him play 10 in a 4231
Thatās a wild idea.
I donāt believe that. Think the club felt something had to be done after the touchline thing so we used the media here.
Last thing the we want is to go into the summer break with the impression that he is up for sale on his current form.
Contract extension or we let him go if anything around Ā£100m comes in.
I donāt think we get anything near Ā£100m for Mo if he leaves this summer. Would be surprised at getting anywhere even near half that to be honest.
See - and thats why we donāt want the world to believe he wants out and weāre open for a sale.
Still think Saudi would pay Ā£80m - even on current form.