This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Phil Thompson has told Sky Sports’ Soccer Special (via Metro) that he is concerned about Mohamed Salah.
What did he say?
Former Liverpool player Thompson was covering the Reds’ 2-1 win against Genk at Anfield on Tuesday in the Champions League for Sky Sports.
The 65-year-old clearly wasn’t impressed with the Egypt international’s performance against the Belgian team, saying: “It is a concern. The ankle injury that he had, it’s just that push off the mark. It doesn’t look as though he’s free-flowing.
“He’s just not getting away from people as you have seen that burst of speed. He’s getting away, but it’s only within tackling distance. His shooting certainly wasn’t on target against Genk and maybe he saving them all for something.”
Needs a rest
Salah wasn’t exactly in terrible form in midweek – he assisted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s strike and created four chances overall for his teammates – but questions can certainly be raised about his recent displays. Against Aston Villa at the weekend, for example, he recorded a WhoScored rating of just 6.05 and was subbed off after 65 minutes.
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Manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed that the 27-year-old missed training before the clash at Villa Park with an ankle injury, yet he was still included in the first XI at Anfield. It is not the first time that he has been seemingly rushed back into the action. There was a similar situation at last year’s World Cup, where he played two of his country’s three group matches despite picking up an injury against Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Across the last two-and-a-bit seasons, the man purchased from AS Roma for £34m has played a part in all but four of the possible Premier League and European fixtures the Reds have featured in. Not only that, but he also played the 90 minutes in all of Egypt’s African Cup of Nations fixtures in the summer as well.
Are we really surprised that his form is taking a slight dip and he is not hitting the same dizzying standards he has set for himself, especially considering he could be carrying an injury? It only makes sense.
As such, it is vital that he is given some sort of rest. That may take a bit of threat away from Liverpool’s attack, but in the long run, they will get the best out of one of their star men once again.
That cannot come against Manchester City at the weekend, of course. Klopp will need all of his best players if he wants to beat the champions. But after that, Salah needs a break. Considering the former Borussia Dortmund manager has complained about his team’s upcoming fixture congestion, it would be hypocritical not to.