Can Liverpool actually replace Salah?

[FootballHQ]

I was thinking watching the first half today just what a clutch player this guy is. Basically the xG for his chance from that angle would've been very low indeed for majority of other players and yet he sticks it into the top corner no problem. This was at a time Liverpool were being dominated and it transformed the complexion of the game completely.

He's fantastic on the counter, finishes most of his one on ones and currently has just the 12 prem goals in 18 games plus some brilliant assists and barely misses a game.

That's quite a profile.

I was amazed so many of their ex players and pundits in the media were so desperate for them to cash in on him at the end of August as Liverpool would be nowhere near title race if he wasn't around.

Was quite funny the amount of press in pre season saying Nunez would score 25 prem goals with his eyes closed this season, the reality is very different indeed for a second season running.

Gakpo is o.k...but no more at the top level and takes rash decisions when entering penalty area. Diaz and Jota are good and fit Klopp's system but miss too many games through injury.

In previous years it wasn't too bad for them with Mane and Firmino around but I can see them dipping significantly again next season if they botch the CF recruitment given their defence is getting on aswell.

 

[Samid]

Can they replace with a better team player? Yes.

Can they replace with a better goalscorer? No.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Of course they can. People thought Suarez was irreplaceable. Whether they can recruit the right players to replace him and his goals is another story entirely. Their record with forwards hasn’t been as good lately.

 

[Bubz27]

Bowen. Not as good but Klopp been lubing him up, he's the right profile, doing very well and ready to take the next step up. Won't cost 100m I think.

 

[Powderfinger]

I don't think they can easily replace him nor do I see a "Kane effect" where losing him allows the rest of the team to play differently in a positive way. He's one of the best attackers in PL history who also slots in very well stylistically into Klopp's system and who also has a near perfect injury record even into his 30s. Those don't grow on trees.

 

[Pascal Quiff]

Salah is honestly the best player in the PL and has been for a while. Only Henry is above him in my honest opinion, in terms of the league. Can't be replaced, the best hope is to change the attacking dynamic to spread the burden.

 

[Leftback99]

No chance like for like but they'll recruit well. They'll get a massive fee for him so will have no issues with FFP and will be able to strengthen other positions too.

 

[FootballHQ]

Of course they can. People thought Suarez was irreplaceable. Whether they can recruit the right players to replace him and his goals is another story entirely. Their record with forwards hasn’t been as good lately.

They botched the Suarez recruitment that summer. Had that bizarre strategy of going for Rickie Lambert (who was already about 32), Balotelli (enough said) and Markovic was a sort of final third player who also did very little. Not sure if Borini was already there but another who was nowhere near good enough.

Mane and Firmino came in the next summer but both took a while to settle in, certainly Firmino looked completely off the pace for six months.

 

[giorno]

Only guy in the sport who is a bigger vertical threat is Mbappé. And the way Liverpool immediately looks for him in behind everytime they get the ball is a big part of what makes their attack so dangerous

So right now? Unless they get Mbappé, anybody else would be a major downgrade with significant repercussions upon their entire playing style

Throw in the fact he's also their most dangerous final third passer...

 

[Oranges038]

They haven't replaced Sane or Firminho well enough. So the answer I think is no.

They'll drop their output by about 20 goals a season without him.

 

[Ole'sgunnarwin]

Salah is honestly the best player in the PL and has been for a while. Only Henry is above him in my honest opinion, in terms of the league. Can't be replaced, the best hope is to change the attacking dynamic to spread the burden.

I agree with this. He's very underrated. Great big game player, overall performances are fantastic and so many goals and assists. Been doing it consistently for many years too.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Who knows. Long they look to have purchased the compents with the potential to. Right now they are all just potential. Young padwans playing alongside a master

 

[Robbie Boy]

Of course they can. People thought Suarez was irreplaceable. Whether they can recruit the right players to replace him and his goals is another story entirely. Their record with forwards hasn’t been as good lately.

Yeah that's the thing; they haven't done too well replacing Firmino and Mane. The peak front three of Mane, Firmino and Salah was insanely good. Diaz and Nunez haven't really been up to much despite the silly early hype around Diaz.

 

[erikcred]

They botched the Suarez recruitment that summer. Had that bizarre strategy of going for Rickie Lambert (who was already about 32), Balotelli (enough said) and Markovic was a sort of final third player who also did very little. Not sure if Borini was already there but another who was nowhere near good enough.

Mane and Firmino came in the next summer but both took a while to settle in, certainly Firmino looked completely off the pace for six months.

Rickie Lambert's age didn't matter because he was basically bait to lure Lallana there.

Gosh, I miss the days when their transfer strategies were this piss poor.

 

[Vernon Philander]

Rashford would be a good replacement if they want him

 

[christinaa]

Salah is honestly the best player in the PL and has been for a while. Only Henry is above him in my honest opinion, in terms of the league. Can't be replaced, the best hope is to change the attacking dynamic to spread the burden.

What the best player ever in the PL?

 

[SilentWitness]

Bowen would be that guy to replace what he does. Not to the same level at all but I reckon he could get to 15-20 league goals a season.

 

[Mike Smalling]

I was thinking during the match yesterday, that without Salah that front three is quite average. Diaz is off form after his injuries, Gakpo doesn't do much, and Nunez is very inconsistent. Jota can be good when he plays, but when Salah leaves they are going to need a new star player to be challenging again.

In some ways it was a classic Salah performance against Arsenal. If you take away the goal, I thought he was very, very poor, but he always has it in him to produce a moment of real quality in these close games.

 

[Alex99]

Rickie Lambert's age didn't matter because he was basically bait to lure Lallana there.

Gosh, I miss the days when their transfer strategies were this piss poor.

In consecutive summer windows they lost Suarez and Sterling, and the attacking reinforcements they brought in were Lambert, Markovic, Origi, Balotelli, Ings, Firmino and Benteke.

Halcyon days.

 

[DWelbz19]

Not properly. Salah’s departure will probably coincide with Klopp’s, ending Liverpool’s current cycle at the top.

 

[Cutch]

Yeah that's the thing; they haven't done too well replacing Firmino and Mane. The peak front three of Mane, Firmino and Salah was insanely good. Diaz and Nunez haven't really been up to much despite the silly early hype around Diaz.

Agree with this but I'd add Gakpo to the mix also who seems very average. I think Diaz has been ruined by his knee injury, doesn't seem to be able to beat a player at all now and final product had already been an issue before that

 

[Ghirahim]

They definitely miss Sadio Mané. Yes Salah will be a huge loss, too.

 

[Hound Dog]

I was thinking during the match yesterday, that without Salah that front three is quite average. Diaz is off form after his injuries, Gakpo doesn't do much, and Nunez is very inconsistent. Jota can be good when he plays, but when Salah leaves they are going to need a new star player to be challenging again.

In some ways it was a classic Salah performance against Arsenal. If you take away the goal, I thought he was very, very poor, but he always has it in him to produce a moment of real quality in these close games.

Did you see the pass for TAA, who struck the bar when he should have scored ?

 

[VorZakone]

What's interesting about him is that he wasn't this good at Roma or the clubs befire. It was only at Liverpool that he basically exploded into an elite player.

Anyway, his output will be very hard to replace.

 

[Champ]

What's interesting about him is that he wasn't this good at Roma or the clubs befire. It was only at Liverpool that he basically exploded into an elite player.

Anyway, his output will be very hard to replace.

That's not entirely true, I remember him at Roma being pretty decent and having a similar goals to game ratio then he does at Liverpool in his second season.

 

[Robbie Boy]

In general Klopp has done a poor rebuilding job and Salah really is carrying them. Without him, I reckon they're 5th or 6th right now. It's crazy how good peak-Klopp Liverpool were. Now, they're nothing more than a pale imitation being carried by Salah.

 

[Mb194dc]

Probably not, you could have said similar after Suarez... 13/14 It did take 3 years until 16/17 until they got back in top 4. They fully recovered by 17/18 when they signed Salah...

 

[VorZakone]

That's not entirely true, I remember him at Roma being pretty decent and having a similar goals to game ratio then he does at Liverpool in his second season.

When he came from Roma, nobody would have remotely expected him to score 30+ league goals in his first season.

 

[Mike Smalling]

Did you see the pass for TAA, who struck the bar when he should have scored ?

Yeah, so? He got one simple pass right, and messed pretty much everything else besides the goal. He gave the ball away so many times.

 

[Buster15]

I was thinking watching the first half today just what a clutch player this guy is. Basically the xG for his chance from that angle would've been very low indeed for majority of other players and yet he sticks it into the top corner no problem. This was at a time Liverpool were being dominated and it transformed the complexion of the game completely.

He's fantastic on the counter, finishes most of his one on ones and currently has just the 12 prem goals in 18 games plus some brilliant assists and barely misses a game.

That's quite a profile.

I was amazed so many of their ex players and pundits in the media were so desperate for them to cash in on him at the end of August as Liverpool would be nowhere near title race if he wasn't around.

Was quite funny the amount of press in pre season saying Nunez would score 25 prem goals with his eyes closed this season, the reality is very different indeed for a second season running.

Gakpo is o.k...but no more at the top level and takes rash decisions when entering penalty area. Diaz and Jota are good and fit Klopp's system but miss too many games through injury.

In previous years it wasn't too bad for them with Mane and Firmino around but I can see them dipping significantly again next season if they botch the CF recruitment given their defence is getting on aswell.

Hope not.

 

[Hound Dog]

Yeah, so? He got one simple pass right, and messed pretty much everything else besides the goal. He gave the ball away so many times.

Not a simple pass by a long shot, he carried the ball over half the length of the field and produced a perfectly weighed passed while running.

The goal was hardly a tap in.

Two moments of game-changing individual brilliance in a game of that profile is way more than most can do.

 

[Reddevildans]

Always wondered about this. He's one of the best 5 players in the world (but the bar is so low right now). He won't be replaced with one player alone. Liverpool will certainly miss him.

 

[JogaBonitoRooney]

Yeah but they probably won't. They hit the jackpot with him. He's a generational player.

 

[el3mel]

It'll be very hard and will take them a lot of time to find a goalscorer with the same efficiency as Salah. They'll surely do at one point but it won't that simple. He scores at least 30 goals every year. Not many players can say they can do this.

 

[Pascal Quiff]

What the best player ever in the PL?

In my opinion, Henry. I would say Salah is below him but is probably the best of the rest. If you look at consistency, as well as the ability to affect games when it matters, he's one of the best.

 

[One Night Only]

He's hard to replace, but if they're willing to give us a fair price for Antony he could be their next star... Please.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Bowen!

 

[christinaa]

In my opinion, Henry. I would say Salah is below him but is probably the best of the rest. If you look at consistency, as well as the ability to affect games when it matters, he's one of the best.

Disagree.
We had a number of better players than Salah or Henry at United

 

[M Bison]

Goal aside, I thought he was poor yesterday and gave away possession easily on a few occasions. That said his goal changed the flow of the game and it’s difficult to replace that.

 

[giorno]

What's interesting about him is that he wasn't this good at Roma or the clubs befire. It was only at Liverpool that he basically exploded into an elite player.

Anyway, his output will be very hard to replace.

Eeeeeh. I mean yes in terms of output, but also, his 6 months loan at Fiorentina was the stuff of legend