Salah On Disappointing Start: “We Just Have To Carry On”

To say the first two weeks of the season have been disappointing for Liverpool FC would be an understatement. A pair of draws have put Liverpool in an early hole after title rivals Manchester City earned victories in their opening two matches.

The Reds did not expect to be four points adrift after just two matches, and they’ve spent the last few days doing damage control and trying to figure out how to get things back on track ahead of a trip to face longtime rival Manchester United on Monday.

Mohamed Salah, the heart of Liverpool’s potent attack, spoke to Sky Sports today about the disappointing start, how he and his teammates are responding to the early setbacks, and what they can do to get things back on track in Manchester.

“We didn’t start the way we wanted, but it’s part of the game and you have to react. We’ve lost four points in our first two games but that can happen,” said Salah.

“Everybody is excited about the season, everyone wants to show our football again, so we just have to carry on. We can’t change the past so that’s why we have to focus on the next game. I think for everyone, we feel that we can’t lose a point that early. You fight with City, you fight with Chelsea, they are two teams that don’t drop points easily. So we just need to focus again and try to win games.”

A match against Manchester United could be just what the doctor ordered. This is a squad that tend to get up for the big matches even when things aren’t going particularly well. And, though they may have a new manager who is trying to shake things up, a floundering United don’t look much improved from the side that Liverpool pummeled twice last season.

“Manchester United is always a special game, for the city, for the fans, for all the fans around the world,” Salah said of the upcoming clash. “It’s the two biggest teams in England, history-wise, so it’s a special game for everybody.”

With City playing tomorrow, there is a strong possibility the Reds go into Monday night seven points behind their main title rival. While Liverpool-Manchester United always promises to be a high-pressure match for all involved, some are wondering if there could be even more pressure on the Reds than you’d normally expect for a visit to Old Trafford if City take care of Newcastle on Saturday.

While Salah thinks that’s a possibility, he also thinks it’s much too early to be worrying about the table. Fretting about where LFC sit in relation to City in the third game week doesn’t help anyone. All Mo and Co. need to worry about right now is earning three points on Monday.

“There could be a little bit of pressure [if we are] seven points behind City, but I think it’s too early to think about that. We don’t think about that now.”