11 Apr 2024 18:18:46
Scoring goals isn’t easy. The fact that Salah has done it so regularly and reliably has probably caused some of us to take that for granted. Even now when he’s at the declining part of his career he’s still going to end the season on 20+. To me that’s mind boggling. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be discussed as a world class player. If he was Brazilian, Argentinian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or French every man and his dog would bang on about him without hesitation, personally I think there’s some unconscious bias among pundits like Ince when discussing Salah.
Facts are that Salah has scored 20+ every season and assisted around 10 every season: He’s done that consistently at the highest level. He’s scored in European Competitions and proven himself against the best regularly. He’s scored some absolute corkers in there against top opponents. He’s not a tap in merchant/ goal hanger. That goal against City where he put Silva on his bum went past another two city defenders before slotting it past Edison (who is a world class keeper) sums him up.
For me, and by any reasonable measure, a winger who scores 20 goals and creates another 10 in any top class competition every season consistently against top class opponents must be considered world class. He’s got end product to match his skills. We’ve been lucky to see one of the greatest to ever wear a red shirt, I hold him in the same regard as John Barnes. It’ll be a sad day when he leaves and replacing what he brings will not be easy.
11 Apr 2024 18:26:31
He is a world-class player.
11 Apr 2024 18:46:32
Salah at his peak was lightning, stretched defences, scored an obscene amount of goals, pressed like a demon and would have gone straight into the first 11 of any club team in the world.
Not to mention he has won all there is to win as the key goal scorer.
I don't know what Ince's definition is for world class. Perhaps he only considers the top three players in the world world class. But even then, at his peak, Salah was close to this.
To be fair, Ince was a man who went around getting people to call him the guvn'r. His opinion would have very little weight with me.
I think the vast majority would admit that Salah at least during his peak years was world class.
He is still a great player too of course.
11 Apr 2024 18:46:45
Of course he's world-class.
11 Apr 2024 20:37:31
At Davey hope all's well. I am certain I saw an interview where the governor thing came up. Wasn't it just a joke to start with then took off from there?
I don't think it was intended to be like some people see how it looks nowadays.
{Ed001's Note - Ince was and still is an arrogant prick. There was no joke in the nickname, he genuinely believed it.}
12 Apr 2024 03:04:57
Take away Salah's pens and he has 17 goals this season. Not bad by any stretch but he is certainly on the decline from a very high peak. Can he still do a job, absolutely. Is he the player he was, no. If the Saudi's want to play top dollar for a 33 year old player (at the end of the season), a player who incorporated speed as one of his strengths, then we should be extremely grateful for his time and wish him luck away from the club.
Was he/ is he world class is irrelevant. Should we part ways is the question. For me the timing is right.
12 Apr 2024 08:48:50
6 times - the goal you reference was nearly 3 years ago, people are saying he isn't playing well now, as in right now, because he isn't. Contrary to what you say he is getting slot of tap in goals. When was the last time he scored a volley like the one against Stoke, an outside the area curler like the one against Roma or a thunderbolt like the one v Chelsea? Exactly.
No-one is saying he isn't quality because he is. No-one is saying he doesn't have the capability to pull something incredible out the bag, because he can, but that doesn't mean he is above criticism for playing rubbish for 85 minutes of a game, just like Haaland isn't. I genuinely don't think we are going to miss him as much as people make out. It was a catastrophy every time a talisman leaves, retires or is sold. Suarez, Coutinho, Gerrard, Torres, Fowler, Owen, Macca and guess what? Every time we have been just fine and so we will be again when Salah leaves in the summer.
12 Apr 2024 14:27:55
Why anyone is even giving Ince the time of day is what I really want to know.