Michael Owen has questioned two Liverpool stars after the Reds were held to a goalless draw at Goodison Park yesterday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won just two of their opening six Premier League games so far and look like a completely different side to the one that challenged right until the very end for the quadruple last term.
Not many of the Anfield outfit’s players can say they’re happy with how they’ve performed so far this season but a lot of criticism has been directed towards Mo Salah with the Egyptian King registering two goals and two assists so far.
Owen claimed that 30-year-old has been ‘non-existent’ recently and suggested that the winger needs to play more centrally.
“[Salah] has been pretty non-existent. We did look at that before the game,” Owen told Premier League Productions (via Football 365).
“How wide of a position he is taking up this season. Is that to do with the new centre-forward? Well, he has been missing for the last three games.
“But I still think in his absence, he has still been playing out wide. I wonder if that’s going to be a pattern that’s going to continue for the rest of the season. It certainly continued (against Everton).”
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid forward also discussed the recent performances of Joe Gomez and claimed the No. 2 makes him ‘nervous’.
The England international has started the last four games alongside Virgil van Dijk as with Ibrahima Konate sidelined through injury and Joel Matip only recently returning to fitness.
“[He], makes me nervous if I am honest,” he added.
”That’s a left foot clearance and he is trying to go with his right foot. Then mis-kicking and basically the ball stopped ten meters away from the goal. It’s not ideal.”
When the Frenchman or Cameroonian are back to full fitness, you would expect them to return to the starting XI alongside our No. 4 but Gomez is certainly good enough to partner the Dutchman.
During our title-winning campaign back in 2019/20, the former Charlton defender was one of our most consistent performers and created a solid relationship alongside the Netherlands skipper.
VOTE for Empire of the Kop as Best Club Content Creator (Premier League) here: Football Content Awards
OR on Twitter with the FCA’s one-click Twitter link with: I am voting for @Empireofthekop in @The_FCAs for #BestClubContentCreator (Premier League)
We do have a number of injuries to key men at the moment but with Diogo Jota and Matip earning some minutes on Saturday and Thiago reportedly close to a return to training, let’s hope we can build some consistency and start climbing up the table.
#Ep58 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Rating Liverpool’s UCL group, making a new signing… & more!
I wish Owen would shut the hell up and rather talk about the other clubs he played for. Have no time for his “punditry”! So glad Salah has overtaken this chump’s PL goals.