Mohamed Salah

[Bobby Hundreds]

17 hours ago, Joey8FrogsLegs said:

He seemed to be playing more centrally last night than he’s been doing this season. Very interesting to see whether this will be the case in games ahead, and how it will work out.

He should be closer to goal. He causes more panic to more players, out wide he's mostly or more easily dealt with.

[VladimirIlyich]

3 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

He should be closer to goal. He causes more panic to more players, out wide he's mostly or more easily dealt with.

Well he has to start his movement somewhere and staying too close to goal will mean tighter marking and fewer space(s.) Perhaps he is too wide when receiving it as we ask our FBs to overlap and support? But I find it difficult to imagine there arent game plans and he is instructed to take up certain positions by the coaching staff.

[Moo]

I "just" think our build up play is far too laboured so he's getting no space in behind.  There's more to it than that but essentially we need to get the ball to our forwards much quicker, we need to be a bit more direct at times.  I don't know if we have the players to play that way any more but that's what Salah needs.

[VladimirIlyich]

3 minutes ago, Moo said:

I "just" think our build up play is far too laboured so he's getting no space in behind.  There's more to it than that but essentially we need to get the ball to our forwards much quicker, we need to be a bit more direct at times.  I don't know if we have the players to play that way any more but that's what Salah needs.

Ideally we need all our forwards to be goal threats so the opposition cannot triple mark one player and reduce our goal threat. But that said,we are still scoring plenty it's what is going on further back where the problems untimately lie.

[dockers_strike]

I thought what was interesting regarding the chances Mo took and scored with, was that he didnt seem to take that 'extra' touch to set himself up for the shots.

 

It was more like the Mo of old. See the chance, smack the ball, goal. Hope he and a few others in the team continue with it because a lot of chances seem to have gone begging this season as players want the extra touch. I guess a lack of confidence does that even to top players?

[an tha]

12 hours ago, Moo said:

I "just" think our build up play is far too laboured so he's getting no space in behind.  There's more to it than that but essentially we need to get the ball to our forwards much quicker, we need to be a bit more direct at times.  I don't know if we have the players to play that way any more but that's what Salah needs.

It comes back to our midfield....

 

It used to win lots of 2nd balls and then shift it onto the forwards qucikly and those foreards would be moving into space.

 

It simply does not happen often enough now or quick enough.

 

Look at how many goals mane and salah scored from 2018-2020 where they were in behind teams and running into space from a through ball that they took on into space and found themselves away and clear...we hardly ever score goals like that now.

 

Some of it is due to more teams putting up a low block more - but a lot of it is down to our midfield being slow and ponderous, not winning those 2nd balls often enough and then passing quickly into space because opposition are stretched like we used to do loads....teams are getting set easier/not getting stretched as much or as often.

 

We also don't snuff out danger as well now and nick those balls that led to turnovers as much as we used to.

 

[Barrington Womble]

On 14/10/2022 at 11:39, Moo said:

I "just" think our build up play is far too laboured so he's getting no space in behind.  There's more to it than that but essentially we need to get the ball to our forwards much quicker, we need to be a bit more direct at times.  I don't know if we have the players to play that way any more but that's what Salah needs.

I don't think we have as many successful turnover of possession we used to. That was part of our game. Win the ball as they're coming out and counter their counter and get Salah and mane in. We don't really do that at all now. Instead teams just pass through us and have their own chances. 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I'm starting to think Code might have a point and this cat might be quite good at football.

[johnsusername]

The difference to when he's near the centre, as opposed to stuck out wide is immense. 

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

Looks a completely different player all of a sudden, something clearly hasnt worked with the adjustments we’ve been doing to the structure of the team.

 

Imagine what he would do if he got the same treatment from the refs as the English players do!

[VladimirIlyich]

I think the mix up over subbing him kicked his arse. He seen his own!

[Jose Jones]

The one in the first half when Rodri went completely through him, then the Bernardo Silva one both not getting given as fouls, in the same game, seems pretty clear there's an agenda going on with the officials.

Absolutely ridiculous.

[Baltar]

Immense today. Can't believe I was getting worried about him. He's world class and we're lucky to have him.

[an tha]

Klopp needs to talk about this in all the pressers, interviews etc....get it on the discussion agenda....

 

https://www.empireofthekop.com/2022/10/18/editors-column-refs-treat-mo-salah-differently-and-its-getting-ridiculous/amp/

[A_S]

I'd love Klopp to simply read those numbers to journos and ask them to explain it. Put it back on the agenda-driving cunts. 

[aws]

He should make it a big part of his mitigation in the upcoming hearing. The media have made this a big story so they’d have to report it. 

[dockers_strike]

Fucking shocking the way Mo gets treated by PL refs. You see it every game, he gets tug to the ground then the oppo cunts stand over him gesturing a dive and the refs lap it up.

[m0e]

16 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

Fucking shocking the way Mo gets treated by PL refs. You see it every game, he gets tug to the ground then the oppo cunts stand over him gesturing a dive and the refs lap it up.

The real xenophobia 

[TheHowieLama]

90 minutes and the least touches of any player on the field on either side. The ball bouncing off him like a traffic cone.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

9 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

90 minutes and the least touches of any player on the field on either side. The ball bouncing off him like a traffic cone.

That performance yesterday was as bad as it gets. He escapes a lot of criticism because of what he’s done in the past, and rightly so to some degree at least.

 

But if you look at that perfomance yesterday alone, it was as bad as the likes of Borini and Lambert ever produced.

[El Rojo]

I don’t know what to make of Mo any more. He was excellent against City last week, quiet against West Ham and anonymous against a very poor side yesterday. 

[gkmacca]

He injured his back, didn't he? 

[an tha]

He was poor without doubt - but have we ever been worse at getting the ball to him than we were yesterday?

[Code]

Why are we pumping high balls into the box when we have Mo and Carvalho in there?

 

Mind-blowing stuff from our players.

[gkmacca]

1 hour ago, Code said:

Why are we pumping high balls into the box when we have Mo and Carvalho in there?

 

We've been doing that for years, and usually only with shortish players in the box. It's been okay before because there have also been enough occasions when the ball has actually been played in to feet.