Liverpool vs Crystal Palace: We don’t need Mohamed Salah any more
As Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday it exposed an exciting truth about the 2019/2020 version of the team.
We don’t need Mohamed Salah any more.
This hasn’t always been the case. The Reds definitely needed him during that whirlwind first season at Anfield, when the Egyptian King danced and sped and drifted and turned his way to a ridiculous 32 Premier League goals and 10 assists.
The dependence on Salah waned a little in 2018/2019 as Sadio Mane started to improve his finishing and eventually ended up level with Mo on 22 goals for the campaign.
And the win against Palace has shown Liverpool don’t need Salah any more, not like they used to. The side is now good enough, with the back-up players adequate enough, that Mo missing a game isn’t the end of the world like it would have been in 2017/2018 or the first half of last season.
Now we have players who can step up and deliver even when our best is unavailable. Mane is turning into a world-class forward in his own right and has eight goals and two assists from 13 league appearances.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back and can provide cover on the flanks. Divock Origi brings something different to the side but is still dangerous. Xherdan Shaqiri is fit now and in an experienced top flight operator.
Of course, the team isn’t the same without Mohamed Salah. He would improve any side in the world and Liverpool must keep him at the club for the next five years if they want to achieve their aims. The former Chelsea man can give any defence a headache and any goalkeeper nightmares.
His pace, his dribbling ability and his desire to score are all world-class and you need that ruthlessness to succeed. But the good news is that Liverpool have evolved, there’s more of a unit about the squad now and we can play on and succeed even when our best isn’t available.
This is also a good thing for the forward, who was allowed time to rest to try and fix this troublesome ankle. Less reliance on one man means more time to get back from injuries or recover fitness and that’s vital over the course of a season, or two, or three.
Next. Liverpool 2-1 Crystal Palace player ratings: Alisson at fault but Sadio Mane menaced. dark
Liverpool don’t need Mohamed Salah any more, and that should be something to celebrate.