Jürgen Klopp: Much Ado About Mohamed Salah’s Form

All the hubbub around Mohamed Salah’s early-season form has done nothing to faze Jürgen Klopp. Salah hasn’t been a goal-scoring machine for Liverpool in the club’s six games played and that hasn’t matched up well with the lofty expectations of many supporters.

Liverpool fans could be forgiven though for being a touch too enthusiastic about Klopp’s team this year. Last season ended with Salah in tip-top shape, scoring at will. Liverpool were running over big teams on their way to the Champions League final.

It terms of team success, Liverpool have improved dramatically since this time last season. The team is purring. The squad is thick. But Salah’s not scoring ten goals a game, is he dying?

Salah’s numbers today aren’t that far off from where they were last September. The Egyptian attacker has scored two goals in six games for Liverpool this campaign compared to three in six in the same span last year.

Klopp was adamant in his pre-Southampton press conference that Mo is under no pressure to be the hero for Liverpool all season long.

“Of course everybody expects that,” said Klopp. “We don’t expect that.”

The faux anxiety over Salah’s goal drought was only compounded after some sloppy play against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday that led to their equalising goal at Anfield. Again, the manager is uninterested in making it a thing.

“With Mo, everything is fine. Yes, he lost the ball before we conceded the second goal. It was a very intense game and things like this happen constantly and we don’t always concede the goal. This time we did.

“It was not the reason for taking him off, of course. I’m fine with him. I think he’s fine with me and with the situation.

“At the end of the season we will see how it was, not at the beginning. The start was good for us as a team. And for him, as well.

“Was it already like his finish last season, Premier League season especially? No, but he needed time last year like we all needed time. and it will take time this year, that’s all.”