Pundit names key Liverpool change which has helped forward reach ‘clinical’ best after worrying start
A pundit has explained how Liverpool have gotten the best out of Mo Salah in recent weeks after his slightly concerning start to the campaign.
Salah managed just two goals in his first eight Premier League appearances of the season. This was low compared to the right winger’s incredibly high standards.
But Salah has turned things around in the league recently, scoring against Manchester City and Leeds and registering a brace in the recent 2-1 win over Tottenham.
The Egyptian failed to get on the scoresheet in Liverpool’s Champions League group stage opener against Napoli, which ended in a 4-1 defeat.
Since then, though, he has netted an impressive seven strikes in five games. That includes a hat-trick during the 7-1 demolition of Rangers at Ibrox.
Overall this season, Salah’s record stands at 14 goals and five assists in 20 appearances. And he could be on for a deadly second half of the season with Liverpool as he will be able to rest during the World Cup, due to Egypt failing to qualify for the tournament.
During an interview with Football Insider, former Leeds and Middlesbrough player Noel Whelan has discussed Salah’s fantastic turnaround in form.
Whelan reckons Liverpool have increased their tempo in the attacking third during recent outings, and this is something Salah ‘thrives’ off.
The return of ‘clinical’ Liverpool ace
“What we’re getting now is the clinical Salah, isn’t it? Total U-turn. We didn’t see that at the start of the season. He started really slowly.
“If you give him the chances then he will score. But at the start of this season, they weren’t creating enough for him.
“I don’t think the tempo was right. They were missing that really fast, one or two-touch tempo that Salah thrives from.
“We’re starting to see that Liverpool from last season come back, but it’s about consistency.
“It can’t just be for one or two games – they’ve got to meet these standards every single game.”
Pundits and fans were trying to figure out why Salah was struggling towards the start of the campaign. Many thought it was because of Liverpool’s gruelling season in 2021-22, as well as Egypt’s AFCON final defeat to Senegal earlier this year.
Whatever it was, the 30-year-old is now proving that he is still Liverpool’s talisman.
And Salah will have to continue scoring if the Reds are to achieve any success this term. They sit in eighth place in the Prem and are already seven points off the top four.
Liverpool will also have to be on top form if they are to progress in the Champions League. They finished second in Group A and will resultantly have to face Real Madrid in the round of 16.
Of course, Real beat Liverpool in the final of the competition back in May. So Jurgen Klopp, Salah and the wider team will all be looking for revenge on the Spanish giants.
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