11 Aug 2025 14:23:44
Am I just being overly critical, it seems Salah struggles to play well if at all when it matters the most especially in finals. Just 2 goals from 13 cup finals both were penalties too having played almost every minute of each final with the exception of the 2018 Champions League final.
11 Aug 2025 14:56:35
The setup yesterday was not great for Mo. We spent most of the game building up on the other side. There was no Trent or Gravy behind him and Szobo was playing LCM.
It will get better as they work on it.
11 Aug 2025 15:05:38
The charity shield isn’t a final and anyone who thinks it is has been brainwashed by Mourinho and Pep.
11 Aug 2025 15:05:46
I doubt we would have made half them finals without his contribution so we will give him a free pass.
11 Aug 2025 15:18:23
Mikey, I actually disagree. I raised this point on here last year as to why I think Mo will never be labelled as truly world class.
No one can doubt his numbers and ability etc, but truly world class players, those once in a generation type, step up and make the difference in big finals.
Mo has never done this for LFC or Egypt and I think it is the only mark against his name. However, I genuinely believe if Ramos hadn't assaulted him, he was going to be the difference in THAT final.
11 Aug 2025 15:26:02
I’m not concerned about this, his form has been fundamental to our success.
11 Aug 2025 15:35:37
Doubting Salah is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Who won the golden boot last year (which only ended a few weeks ago)?
11 Aug 2025 15:40:37
Oh please! Don't think anyone would like to deem the Charity Shield a final.
11 Aug 2025 15:56:15
A final is a one off game and Salah is invariably the biggest threat going into it. So the opposition probably sit and spend all week working on tactics to stop him specifically. He gets doubled and tripled up on all the time. What matters, is that the team wins more often than not because he occupies so much of their pre-match preparations that we can usually take the opposition apart via our other talented players.
The problem yesterday wasn't Salah. We scored 2 goals and that should be enough to win a game of football. The problem yesterday was Konate and Virgil both played poorly on the same day (a collectors item to be fair) and we had our 2nd choice midfield out against Wharton and Eze who are both extremely talented and won't be at Palace for much longer. It was far to easy for those two to cut us apart through the middle of the pitch.
11 Aug 2025 16:05:27
Can’t believe a Liverpool fan would call the charity shield a final ? first time for everything I suppose.
11 Aug 2025 16:10:57
Mo was quiet yesterday but I couldn’t believe how many Ariel balls we played to him.
We got to play to his strengths if we want the best out of him.
Finals are one off games. No one cares who scores or assists if you win them.
11 Aug 2025 16:31:39
Also a problem of 1 ball over top of, or through midfield and palace were in on goal. Without alli could of been worse. Having said that ekitike should of scored 2 or 3,wirtz and salah should of scored also.
We'll click soon enough and be unstoppable. 2 more attackers ( isak being the main 1) and cbs and we'll be superb.
11 Aug 2025 16:57:08
We get into these finals because of Salah.
11 Aug 2025 17:02:11
Agree with all of that MK. Wharton and Eze played well, although the former should have seen red in my opinion.
11 Aug 2025 17:34:43
To answer your original question Felmil, yes you are being overly critical. Mo has been World class for many years, the numbers he gets from where he plays are unreal.
Thierry Henry also has a poor record in cup finals.
11 Aug 2025 17:49:09
I don’t think Palace played through our midfield at all. They won the ball high up the pitch because we tried to play through the middle all the time and lost possession.
When we were set and they had possession they found it hard to create anything. It was set pieces or bust.
We got too complacent and thought we could play passes that weren’t on. The second goal they scored should’ve been a foul on Gakpo based on the multitude of similar fouls the ref gave the other way but even then it was Gakpo losing the ball in a dangerous area. Szob did it for Eze’s chance too. It happened time and time again especially after Ekitike and Wirtz had gone off because we had no out ball.
It’ll be sorted it was a friendly and the lads got some decent competitive action under their belts.
11 Aug 2025 18:11:12
He is truly shocking in big games I have never seen such a big player go missing when it actually matters than Salah. Seemed like he couldn’t be bothered yesterday. He is equally as bad for Egypt in big matches. Just not a big game player.
11 Aug 2025 19:03:51
MK, good point, I guess that has to be taken into consideration.
However, the same could easily be said about Pele, Madonna, Ronaldo, Messi, C Ronaldo and to am extent Mbappe. All would have been and were targeted, man marked etc but all excelled in the big games.
Salah is man marked every week in PL but still posts incredible numbers. I genuinely believe he has a mental blocker when it comes to finals, puts too much pressure on himself or whatever. But either way, he has never stepped up in finals.
11 Aug 2025 20:03:19
Spot on, MKS and I'm surprised many people missed this. CP doubled up on Salah with Guehi and Mitchell (with a mid. helping out at times), something that we countered by creating and overloading their right side with Wirtz, Eketike and Kerkez which is where most of our good attacking play came from. With either player being the spare guy cos Sarr wasn't tracking back to help that mutch. It was so clear to see.
We were able to get him playing a bit when Salah went inside with Szobo and Frimpong on the overload which managed to get him free. This is why we found so much joy in their padded defence cos their guys were well occupied and with our quick ball movement and intricate passing, we were cutting them open, IMO. Again, so clear to see.
11 Aug 2025 20:04:43
Also, I don't know when the glorified friendly a. k. a the Charity/ Community Shied became a "final". Or is that something someone made up out of thin air to bash the club with.
11 Aug 2025 20:16:32
Just to clarify, whilst I'm sure Madonna would be a decent number 9, I meant to say Maradonna.
11 Aug 2025 20:46:21
LOL, stuie this is a dangerous rabbit hole mate. But yes, I have been saying this also and for years on here. Love Mo, wanted him to sign, but I am also realistic to know that his quality is turning on quality moments in a match as opposed to dictating play and taking over a game.
11 Aug 2025 21:44:36
You meant to say Maradona, Stuie ?.
11 Aug 2025 22:00:26
You must have had a really good stream to see all that Oli.
I was at the game and I missed 3 players on Salah.
11 Aug 2025 22:33:27
To get to wembley palace had to play six games LFC played 38 games so you really can not call it a final . YNWA.