Watford captain Troy Deeney believes Liverpool quartet Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota aren’t natural goal-scorers.
The 32-year-old concedes “they are not bad players”, but goes on to explain how the Reds would benefit from having a player like Harry Kane in the mix.
“I’m going to say something and I’m probably going to get hammered for it. They’re not natural goal-scorers, any of the four,” Deeney told talkSPORT.
“I’ve been on record before, I think Firmino is excellent but he’s not someone I sit back and think he’s going to get 25 or 28 goals a season.
“Salah is a winger. Look at Newcastle, look at how many chances he missed. If they fell to Harry Kane we would have said he had a bad day.
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“They are not bad players, but it’s that natural finishers instinct that certain players have. These players are more creative and introverted wingers.
“Salah gets a lot of chances. One game he might score five and seasons like this he might have four or five games where he doesn’t score.
“With the Newcastle game, Liverpool could have been 6-0 at half-time and we’re having completely different conversation.”
While it’s difficult to sit back and defend our forwards after the last few games, it’s a bit harsh to zone in on them and blame them for what’s not going to plan this season.
Given the success Salah, Mane and Firmino have enjoyed over the years, they’re clearly not the sole problem and the real issue is elsewhere.
The absences of Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson – two of Liverpool’s most vocal leaders – have been overlooked greatly this season, and they’re being sorely missed.
Mane is perhaps facing the biggest loss this term, and it’s somewhat reflected in his performances, as van Dijk often pings long-range passes his way.
That being said, all four players critiqued by Deeney weren’t good enough against Newcastle over the weekend and should have killed the game off in the first-half.