Mohamed Salah

[Harry Squatter]

Harry Kane takes all of Tottenhams penalties as well.

[Grinch]

Best finisher at the club.  Calmness personified.

[deiseach]

Two feet. The amount of players who would fanny around trying to get that onto their good (only) foot...

[LFC 6 Times]

I think mo Salah is the best player in the world.

[Guest]

Barcelona and Real Madrid have taken a step back in their pursuit of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, according to reports.

 

The Egyptian has been in red-hot form for the Merseysiders this term, bagging an amazing 36 goals and ten assists in all competitions.

 

His goalscoring ability had reportedly alerted Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid with both clubs understood to be monitoring his progress at Anfield.

 

The reports claimed that Liverpool would demand £200million in return for his services after buying him for £35million from Italian side Roma in the summer.

 

However, the Daily Express claims that Barcelona have set their sights on bringing Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann to the Camp Nou and won’t have the necessary funds to land Salah.

 

The Express continues by saying that their ‘Spanish sources’ believe that Real Madrid won’t be bidding for the 25-year-old either.

 

The news will come as a huge relief to Jurgen Klopp with many pundits tipping them as the most likely challengers to Manchester City next campaign.

[dockers_strike]

Interesting article from a Basle viewpoint of Mo.

 

Among his many achievements in an astounding debut season at Liverpool, Mohamed Salah may be responsible for the most expensive phone bill in Europe.

“I send him a text after every goal,” says Bernhard Heusler, former President of Swiss club Basel. “It is enriching to see how his career has developed.”

It was Heusler, alongside Basel’s former Sporting Director Georg Heitz, who negotiated the deal with Egyptian club Arab Contractors to take the teenage Salah to Switzerland six years ago. It set in motion a journey which has elevated Salah to one of Europe’s elite footballers, and a potentially pivotal figure in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Anfield on a European night is a far cry from the icy pitch at Basel’s Stadion Rankhof on March 16, 2012 (see video below) when, in front of 500 fans, Salah made his first appearance on European soil. His impact was customarily instant. With the score at 1-1 at half-time in a friendly between Basel and Egypt’s Under 23s, Salah was sent on and was celebrating with his favoured kissing of the turf within ten minutes, drifting from the right wing to tap in at the far post. He would score again in a 4-3 win.

 

“In this small stadium, with not many spectators, we saw a star rise in Basel,” recalls Heusler. “A contact in Egypt made our sporting director aware of Salah and this match was organised with the purpose of watching him and Mohamed Elneny.

 

“We would never agree to sign a player based on a video so we had to see him but the Egyptian season was interrupted because of the problems in the country (following the Port Said Stadium massacre), so we invited the Egyptian Olympic team to play us as they were preparing for the Olympics the following summer.

“What I remember was it was a freezing night in a small stadium, conditions he could not have been familiar with in Cairo. He was playing against one of our fastest defenders. In his first two sprints we were amazed.

“We immediately asked him to do some more trials with us, which in itself was amazing that he agreed to this, but we really thought it would benefit him and us.”

Within a month Salah had agreed a permanent deal with Basel, but when he debuted at the start of the next season not all were convinced he was a suitable replacement for Bayern Munich-bound Xherdan Shaqiri.

 

“We were always angry with the media in Basel because they were quite negative,” said Heusler.

 

“They did not see his positive skills. They would say he created a lot of chances but did not score. You would certainly laugh if you saw some of those comments now.

“When you saw him what you noticed is he was not always moving. He would not be in the game but then he would explode. Some of our scouts wondered if this style could really work in a player?

“But teams discovered it was very dangerous to attack us. I remember a game in St Petersburg in the Europa League where they were in panic in defence because they had to be so careful with him. They knew if we kicked the ball into their half he would get to it. His performances helped us to the semi-final of the Europa League that year.

“He developed his game and what he has now is unbelievable efficiency. In Switzerland he created through his speed and his ability to surprise but we can see how much he has improved. To think he could score as many in a season as Ian Rush? Wow. Unbelievable.”

 

After Salah helped Basel win the Swiss Super League, Heusler conducted negotiations for his transfer to Liverpool in 2014.

 

“We were far with Liverpool, negotiating with Ian Ayre, but Chelsea jumped in,” he recalls. “I guess at the time it seemed Chelsea won the race, but not the whole race, only the first stage. The race was finally won by Liverpool but it was a tough call then.

“We agreed the deal because we never want our players to move on from us in a war. We did not have a divorce. He left us through the big door and I am pleased about that.

“I don’t know the reason he could not show his talent at Chelsea. Certainly there are factors and it is not for me to judge, but he improved again in Italy so maybe that was the right step too.”

As much as Salah’s ability, Heusler recalls a player who shuns attention off the pitch - he is yet to conduct a non-contractually obliged interview in England - but finds it inescapable on it.

“I am a firm believer the guys who make it to the top are likely to be the most humble,” says Heusler, who remains Basel’s Honorary President having left his executive role last year.

Salah is enjoying a sensational debut season at Liverpool  Credit: PA

“They know where they are from and they do not cut their roots. I appreciate he is still in contact with those who helped him at Basel and he does not believe he is better just because he has become of the most famous footballers on the planet at this moment. You know, it is unbelievable when I hear myself describe him as this. I don’t believe my words, but this is a fact.

 

“What I loved most about him when I first met him is his intelligence. When he arrived in Switzerland I don’t remember if he spoke much English at all.

“But after a few weeks he would be sending messages in a different language and understanding the sense of humour. He really understands and embraces the culture where he goes. But he is also focused and professional and has seemed to always know exactly what he needs to improve.”

Inevitably and irritatingly for everyone at Anfield, attention is already shifting to whether Liverpool is an ultimate destination for the Egyptian or if the Real Madrid and Barcelona unsettling machine will move into gear..

“It would not be appropriate for me to discuss that,” said Heusler. “What I would say he has done everything right in his career so far. He is well advised and is such an intelligent person I believe he will always make the right decisions.”

With Salah closing in on 40 for the season, the goals - and the texts - will keep coming.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/04/02/revealed-moment-set-mohamed-salah-path-superstardom/

[Grinch]

Season hinges on this man's fitness,  

[suzy]

Klopp has said that Mo has said ‘I will be fine ‘ but that he will be getting a doctors view and not just the ‘Mo view’ ! Hopefully it was just precautionary taking him off, would definitely rest him Saturday though

[Mudface]

I hope there's sufficient heavy lifting equipment available for his balls while they assess his injury. 

[dockers_strike]

Looked like he has tweaked his groin again. Last time he did that he missed the next game. I would rather he did not play against Everton if it means he is fit for the 2nd leg next week.

[magicrat]

Looked like he has tweaked his groin again. Last time he did that he missed the next game. I would rather he did not play against Everton if it means he is fit for the 2nd leg next week.

 

Think we can count him out now for the derby,  Be very lucky if thats all he misses

[Section_31]

I think he's our greatest signing since the first Dalglish era and my favourite player since big Sammi. Embodies everything you want in a footballer both inside and out.

[VladimirIlyich]

I think he's our greatest signing since the first Dalglish era and my favourite player since big Sammi. Embodies everything you want in a footballer both inside and out.

Bloody Muslims! Coming over here and being great footballers.

[A_S]

Looked like he has tweaked his groin again. Last time he did that he missed the next game. I would rather he did not play against Everton if it means he is fit for the 2nd leg next week.

 

Skip the derby and put him on the bench for the City game? As it stands, Liverpool don't have to score to advance, plus I don't think he is essential to get a goal at theirs, as much as he would help. 

[Numero Veinticinco]

Get him fit for the second leg. That’s it really.

[Guest]

I think he's our greatest signing since the first Dalglish era and my favourite player since big Sammi. Embodies everything you want in a footballer both inside and out.

Xavi Alonso might have something to say about that.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Xavi Alonso might have something to say about that.

Who?

[Guest]

Who?

I said Xabi Alonso. What did you see?

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

I said Xabi Alonso. What did you see?

You made me double check *shakes fist*

[Baltar]

Praying he's fit for the 2nd leg. City would get a big confidence boost if Mo is out. 

[Section_31]

Xavi Alonso might have something to say about that.

 

Great player but didn't have an impact like this in his first season, nobody has for my money - the guy is half a team in a pair of boots.

[Guest]

Great player but didn't have an impact like this in his first season, nobody has for my money - the guy is half a team in a pair of boots.

I'm pretty sure Liverpool won the Champion's League in his first season. Not too bad as an impact in the first season.

[Elite]

Comparing Alonso to Salah is ridiculous. Alonso is a leg but Salah has been almost miraculous this season.

[Guest]

Comparing Alonso to Salah is ridiculous. Alonso is a leg but Salah has been almost miraculous this season.

How is there any 'comparison' between Alonso and Salah. The post said the greatest signing since the Dalglish era. Alonso was signed between then and now and I would argue that he was easily as good a signing, if not better for the influence he had on that team. The two players are clearly not to be compared but their impact on the team could easily be. You could also easily add Suarez to that list.

[Numero Veinticinco]

It’s hard to judge, considering the other top players were here for years, he has been here for months. The fact that he is even in the conversation is credit to Mo.

 

Many huge contributions to winning trophies, though. Alonso and Sami stock out as great signings.