John Aldridge has his say on a difficult year for Mohamed Salah and the players set to be out of contract in his latest column
It’s been a difficult twelve months for Mohamed Salah and I think it is now starting to show.
Having endured heartbreak in the Africa Cup of Nations final and World Cup qualifiers with Egypt in the early stages of last year, he’s not been the same player for Liverpool since. Not on a consistent basis anyway.
He has seven goals in 19 Premier League matches this season, it’s his worst patch of form since he joined the club in the summer of 2017, without a doubt. We need Mo now, we need him to be a big player for us.
When teams set up against Liverpool, they are now insistent on stopping Salah. Now we have the option to mix it up in attack, we can start Darwin Nunez on the left and Cody Gakpo on the right and put Salah down the middle, where he has already shown this season he looks more of a threat at this stage of his career. Let teams try and handle that one.
If we tried something like that again, it would nullify all the work opponents have done on the training field and instead leave central defenders looking at one another and thinking how on earth they can stop Salah, because when he’s at his best not many teams can handle him.
We even have options in the youth, Ben Doak has shown he can cause defenders problems in all his cameos so far. You get a lot out of the lad. He frightens full-backs; he’s quick, direct and fearless.
He’s now a serious option on the right-hand side if Gakpo needs more time to settle into life as a Jurgen Klopp player – we all know how demanding it can be and the adjustment period that comes with it.
Starting on Sunday in the FA Cup, if I was the manager I’d start the same XI that played at Brighton in the Premier League just a few weeks ago. I’d give them the opportunity to eradicate everything they did so badly last time; win the battles, don’t be bullied. Be aggressive. That’s a big start for Liverpool and hopefully players like Mo can build from there.
Although it’s only the FA Cup and sometimes frowned upon, I think this weekend is a massive game. When we went to Brighton two weeks ago, it was like a massacre. Outplayed, outfought, out-ran.
That has to change on Sunday. It’s worked out well that we have to face Brighton again so shortly after that humiliation, it gives us a huge opportunity to put things right. The FA Cup could be so important for Liverpool at the end of the season with the way things in the Premier League are going.
Out of contract
One player who Liverpool have missed in recent weeks is Roberto Firmino, but with just six months left on his contract that could be a glimpse into the future for Jurgen Klopp.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether the Brazilian will pen fresh terms at Anfield – the manager clearly wants him to do so – but it’s up to the player. He’s not getting any younger.
In fairness, after his struggles in recent years, he has been one of the better performers in the Liverpool squad this season and prior to his injury his goal-to-game ratio had been impressive.
My only concern is that we are becoming a slightly ageing side so the manager could look to bring in younger options or hand those minutes to the players who have progressed this season, such as Doak. One thing is for certain, whatever happens, Firmino has been an incredible servant to the club since his move from Germany in 2015.
But it’s not just his future which is up for consideration at Anfield. Does Naby Keita deserve or warrant a new contract? Not for me. We bought him at a premium from RB Leipzig but he has been injured so many times, yes he’s had a few decent games but would you say he’s been a great buy? Not by any means, not compared to the other players.
Unless Liverpool are to sell him in the final days of the January window, it appears that he will leave the club as a free agent in the summer and the club will cut their losses.
The same can’t be said about James Milner. I think we are all dreading the day he decides to hang his boots up. He has been unbelievable for the club and against Chelsea he was probably our best player.
He’s a Liverpool legend. He’s been at the club so long and never let us down. I can’t express in words the respect I have for James Milner. Players like that in years gone by become integral to the set-up and then transition into the staff, but his next move will depend on what James wants for himself, and I imagine that will be to keep playing until his legs drop off. But I would love to see him stay around.
SOURCE: liverpoolecho.co.uk
