Graeme Souness has told Mo Salah to prove him wrong after the Liverpool legend hinted that the Egyptian may be getting ‘semi into his armchair’ after signing a mega new deal with the club this summer.
The No. 11 has two goals and two assists to his name so far this season but is yet to perform at his blistering best.
He was kept extremely quiet during the goalless Merseyside derby clash at Goodison Park yesterday and was on the periphery for most of the afternoon.
“I’m looking at Salah for Liverpool against Man United and in the first five minutes [Lisandro] Martinez goes right through him,” Souness told Sky Sports (via the Mirror).
“The rest of the game, Mo Salah looked for Martinez and looked for where he was. I’ve not seen the same Mo Salah since. I just hope – and he’s signed the big contract he wanted, but at this level if you knock off half a per cent or one per cent then you are not the same player.
“I hope this is not him getting semi into his armchair because he has signed a big contract,” Souness added. “I’m saying that as a Liverpool supporter, hopefully to make him angry and prove me wrong.”
Jurgen Klopp insisted that he hasn’t asked the former AS Roma man to adapt his style of play following suggestions that the 30-year-old is operating far wider than what we’ve become accustomed to in recent years.
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Defenders do usually double up on the Egypt international because he is so good but he has been kept quiet by most sides so far this season.
We travel to Naples on Wednesday night for our opening Champions League group stage clash and hopefully Salah will be at his best upon his return to Italy.
There’s no need to be concerned at the moment as it’s still early days in the season and there’s many others in Klopp’s squad that aren’t currently performing at the level they need to be.
We have confidence that last season’s Golden Boot winner will return to his best form sooner rather than later and we can’t wait to see him tearing defences apart once again.
#Ep58 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Rating Liverpool’s UCL group, making a new signing… & more!