What to Expect with Mo Salah in the 2018-19 Premier League
The World Cup in Russia wasn’t much of a smooth run for the Egyptian phenom, Mo Salah. However, that’s not much of a problem knowing that he had a great campaign in the English Premier League.
It might be his first season playing for Liverpool, but it proved to be his greatest debut after defying all odds. And now, he’s back on track and is eager to have a back-to-back spectacular season.
Things seem to have a good start after he scored against Manchester City off the bench during the game’s last 52 seconds. Though it’s not yet the start of the season, one can easily see that Salah is hyped up for the season kick starter.
Salah scored 44 times during last year's Premier League, a feat which is likely to remain unmatched by other players. Many sports analysts believe that the Egyptian has the capability to have another shot at achieving his previous achievement or even go beyond it.
This is because he’s on peak shape and has the skills and talent to bring Liverpool to Premier League domination.
For some, this is a huge responsibility for Salah because of the high expectations set on him. But surprisingly, the Egyptian thinks otherwise as he said that he’s not very concerned with the added pressure on his shoulders.
This shows that he is very confident that he can match his great record last season, or perhaps go beyond it, as what most sports analysts believe. Then again, this is a good sign that all is well for his second season in Liverpool.
Salah, in an interview, said that he is happy to be back in Liverpool, implying his excitement about the opportunities he has. He also said that he feels good about his shoulder.
Salah sustained a shoulder after it got dislocated during their Champions League final game against Real Madrid. With this, one can easily say that he’s back on track and he is fit than ever, as compared to his health during his failed World Cup campaign with Egypt.
Furthermore, Salah talked about his great campaign with Liverpool last season. He specifically stated that his success isn’t only his own, but his entire team’s as well.
Salah also said how he would want to improve further so that the Reds can dominate the Champions League and Premier League.
Liverpool was defeated by Real Madrid 3-1 during the Champions League final, and Salah, together with the rest of the Reds won’t let that happen again.
In line with this, Salah believes that he has the capability to help his team dominate these two leagues. As what he said, he will just keep on doing what he does best, and that is to play at the highest possible level.
He added that he would just do the same things that he did last season, but he vows to improve a lot so that their winning chances will increase.
Salah might be the biggest and brightest player of the Reds squad, but things got a lot better now as he is joined with four new teammates, one of which is the great Naby Keita. The former Leipzig player joined Liverpool last summer and is expected to help bolster their ailing midfield.
This is a great addition to the club because Keita proved his worth and caliber after winning the PFA Player of the Year.
Salah, when talking about his new teammate Keita, said that he had been amazing in the training sessions. The Liverpool striker even said that he plays very well and everyone in the team is happy to have him on board.
This is also a very good sign that he is adjusting pretty well with his new club.
Salah said in an interview that the skills that Keita is showing to the team are very helpful to their midfield areas.
All the players in the club are also happy because the 23-year-old midfielder contributes a lot to their games. Support is the name of the game for these guys, and in this case, Keita will get lots of it.
The Liverpool squad is currently in the U.S. for their off-season tour. Hence, Salah, together with the crew, have been the main attractions during their visits to New Jersey, Charlotte, and Michigan.
Salah said that the atmosphere in the U.S. was very good because they were welcomed warmly by the Americans. The Egyptian signed hundreds of autographs after their game last Wednesday at the MetLife Stadium.
There were a lot of Egyptians in the crowd, he said, and because of it, he feels happy and loved. He acknowledged them as his people and that he is proud to be one of them.
Standards go higher
The Egyptian striker seeks to better his achievements last season after saying that he’s feeling more confident than ever thanks to his experience in the World Cup.
He also added that the doctors that helped him recover from his shoulder injury helped him a lot because it made him stronger, not only in the physical aspect but in the mental and emotional areas as well.
As of now, the Liverpool squad is roaming around the U.S. and is expected to stay in the country for the following days for their pre-season tour before the Premier League 2018-19 season kick starts on Aug. 10.
With this, it would be safe to expect that Salah didn't just become stronger, but wiser as well as his previous games helped him get a better feeling of the game.
The pre-season game between Liverpool and Manchester City in New Jersey was off to a good start for the Reds, specifically for the Egyptian forward. Salah scored a goal just 52 seconds after he entered the field to replace the benched Curtis Jones.
It was a huge victory for them as Liverpool reigned victorious over the City 2-1.
This means a lot to the club because Man City is the reigning Premier League champions, and having them defeated by the number three ranked club in the English top-flight could serve as a hint that things are about to change next season.
Furthermore, Liverpool’s victory, of course with the help of Mo Salah, silenced any doubts that he’s still struggling from his shoulder injury.
The game when he sustained his shoulder injury was a disappointing moment for their fans as Real Madrid grabbed the opportunity of a Salah-less Liverpool, and in the process, defeated them 2-1.
Most believe that if the 26-year-old wasn’t injured, things turned out the other way around and Liverpool would have won the final.
This is also the main reason why Salah was unable to play during Egypt's first game in the World Cup. It was the opening fixture game of Egypt in Russia, but unfortunately, his doctors decided not to let him play for fear that his injury would worsen.
Nonetheless, he was able to play in the succeeding games. Egypt might not have survived the group stage and not have won a single game, but they still showed that they could compete with the giants.
Take for example their game against Saudi Arabia where they were supposed to surpass the two-point goal score of the Arabs if only they didn't lose momentum late in the game.
Now, Salah confidently said that he is happy with how things have gone and that he is feeling more confident than ever that he’ll have a great campaign this season.
Undergoing an injury which puts him at risk of not playing in some of the most important games in his career surely have taught him a lesson, and that is to pace things properly.
Most sports analysts agree that Salah is still starting to develop his charisma, and because of this, he still feels very active and over-confident that he’s willing to push his maximum limits even if it means risking himself to sustaining injuries.
Because of this, it’s safe to expect that Salah will be more careful this season, but this doesn’t mean that he’ll be slower. He’ll just be wiser, as what most sports analysts forecast.
Furthermore, the Reds, with the leadership of captain Jordan Henderson and manager Jurgen Klopp, will surely vie for a higher standing in the Premier League. Last season, the Reds finished in the third place, with Man City on top and Man United on the second spot.
As of now, the two Manchester clubs are the favorites to win next season’s title, but that, of course, isn’t acceptable for the Liverpool squad.
As what Salah said in an interview, he, together with the rest of the Reds guys, is going to do their best to become the Premier League champions.
They are also confident that they can win the Champions League this time around knowing that they were one step close to the title last season when Real Madrid defeated them with just a single goal difference.
Liverpool is going to face Man United at the Michigan Stadium this Saturday. This matchup will serve as a warm-up game, for them to gauge each other's strengths and weaknesses.
The pre-season matchup will also act as a way for them to further adjust to their new teammates and new game strategies, of which Klopp is expected to implement.
The Reds are currently training at The Big House, a stadium which can accommodate 100,000 people. It is usually used as a place where college sports are played.
After their upcoming game against Manchester United, Liverpool is going to go back to Europe and battle it out against Napoli in Dublin, Ireland. This will be held on Aug. 4, which is three days before they face Torino at their home stadium, Anfield.
Getting to play against different teams coming from different leagues will enable them to strengthen further their versatility in approaching every game.
Meanwhile, their first game for the 2018-19 Premier League will be against West Ham United. It will be played on Merseyside on Aug. 12.
This is a must-see game as Felipe Anderson, and Javier Hernandez will be doing their best to show to the world that they can go against the giants in the football world, Salah, Sadio Mane, and Naby Keita.
This will also be an interesting game as football fans will see how Klopp will adapt to the constantly changing attacking lines of the Hammers.
Liverpool extension contract
Talking about Salah and his great first season with Liverpool, recent reports just confirmed that he had signed a five-year extension for his contract to play in Anfield.
This is a very good sign that the Egyptian is having a good time in the London club and is happy with his new teammates and playing environment.
What’s more is that the contract extension didn’t have any release clause, which further proves that he has no plans of leaving Anfield in the near future.
The Egyptian had a spectacular debut season in Merseyside after scoring 44 goals in his 52 game appearances. This is beyond the expectations of everyone knowing that his previous goal-scoring record didn’t go near this number before.
Nonetheless, this is a sign that he’s vastly improving.
Salah's new contract will run until 2023 and is a sign that he's happy to grow in the club. Meanwhile, Klopp said in an interview regarding the contract renewal of Salah, that this is a sign that there is a place for the striker in the club.
He even called the Egyptian as a world-class talent, implying that he is one of the best football players in the world.
Klopp also said that Salah signing the extension of his contract is a great privilege for them and the striker as well as it gives both parties an assurance that they’ve got a lot of chances to win titles in the next few years.
In addition, Klopp stated that Salah’s contract renewal means two things. First is that he believes Liverpool will help him improve his career. Well, that will undoubtedly happen. In fact, it’s currently happening.
Klopp’s coaching genius alone is enough for top-tier players to bring out the best in them.
Secondly, is that the extension will show to other players, and will motivate them to go to Liverpool because it is a home where top players can blossom and fulfill their dreams and ambitions in their career.
Klopp continued saying that having Salah signs his contract extension is one way of saying that Liverpool can help players improve. It’s all about their environment that enables them, together with their players, to get even better.
But what makes things more interesting is the absence of a release clause. This is a jackpot deal for Liverpool because this means that any club that wishes to get Salah would have to pay an insanely expensive fee.
With this, one can easily say that Liverpool benefited greatly from this deal, both in the sports aspect and financial area as well.
Stronger Salah, better Liverpool
The contract extension of Salah isn’t the only great thing that happened to Liverpool’s off-season. Also in the list of contract extenders is Roberto Firmino who recently signed a five-year contract extension.
Sadio Mane, Liverpool’s go-to attacking midfielder, is also expected to sign a contract extension in the next few days, knowing that the summer transfer window is about to close on Aug. 10.
Once Mane’s deal has been made, then Liverpool’s chances of making it big next season would even be higher as Mane is one of the other two Reds stars that Klopp calls as his dynamic attacking trio.
Another interesting thing to note in Klopp’s statement is that he acknowledges Salah’s humble attitude. The German manager said that one of the best things about Salah is that he doesn’t see himself as more important than the other players or the rest of the team.
Klopp continues saying that Salah recognizes the fact that the sport of football is all about teamwork, and that because of this, the Egyptian knows how to use his success towards his team's goal, and that is to get and win titles.
This, according to him, is one of the reasons why they managed to come one step closer to the Champions League title. The might have failed, but it still showed to them that they could, if only they persisted even more.
The Liverpool manager even went on describing Salah as the reflection of their teamwork, after saying that the Egyptian helped them achieve their goals as a team. He added that they want more, in a sense that they wanted to go beyond their successes last season.
Klopp even went on to say that they will never stop until they achieve their mission, and that is to win the Premier League and Champions League titles.
It’s all about teamwork and camaraderie for the team, and that’s what they need to carry over once the season starts, Klopp concluded.
With all these being said, it’s safe to expect the Egyptian phenom, Mo Salah, to have an even better time with Liverpool.
He's gained more experience, further learned the ins and outs of top-flight football, as well as strengthened and improved his skill and talent, so that he will be able to bring glory not only to his name but for his club and country as well.
Indeed, Mohamed Salah has got what it takes to dominate the upcoming season.