Salah has raised EVERY Liverpool player’s game. They can push City for the title
LET this be a hard game: that was all I kept thinking on Tuesday evening before I sat down to watch Liverpool in the Champions League.
I know how difficult it is to raise yourself after one of those huge European nights. So much emotion and effort goes into getting a good result that, come the next Saturday, there is a hangover.
When I was at Liverpool, we had consecutive years (2007 and 2008) in Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea — we won only one of the four Premier League fixtures that followed.
Given Stoke’s position, you look for any advantage and I expected Roma to push Liverpool to the limit and leave the tie on a knife-edge. Of course I wanted Liverpool to win, but I wanted them to have a tough time with today’s match against Stoke City to follow. What I didn’t expect was the performance.
It has to be said that Roma’s defending was unbelievable. At times it was like a one- sided schoolboy game where the big kid at the back hits the ball forward to the fast kid up front, who runs in and scores. It was mindblowing Roma could be so naive with Mohamed Salah (above).
But then I had to look at things another way. At one stage Liverpool were 5-0 up in a Champions League semi-final. The tie is not over yet because of Roma’s two late goals, but I am convinced Jurgen Klopp’s side will score in Rome. They always score.
When I look at Liverpool now, it reminds me of the feelings that were around the club when I was at Anfield. There was a pressure to win every game that I had not experienced in my career before but it was a good pressure — a pressure that made you desperate to succeed. Our challenge was to try to overhaul Chelsea and Manchester United and during my three seasons we finished third (twice) and fourth. But there was a sense of ‘ We’re getting there’ towards the title. If we had added a couple more players, we might have achieved the ultimate objective. Liverpool are getting into position now where the squad will be thinking the same.
Everyone raves about Salah and rightly so — there’s not much I can say about him that hasn’t been said — but it is what he is doing to those around him that is so impressive.
Jordan Henderson and James Milner were outstanding against Roma. They have always been good players but their standards have risen. The full backs, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson, are so impressive and the energy of the team is lifting the whole stadium. In January, on the Saturday after we played Manchester United at Old Trafford, I wrote about why I believed Jose Mourinho’s side would be firmly in the race for the title next season. I have not changed my mind, but as it stands, Liverpool will push Manchester City closest.
Nobody has come close to doing to City what Liverpool have done to them in the last three games they have played. In 95 per cent of matches, City are much the better side, but Liverpool have the ability to blow away teams and their front three are as exciting as any in Europe.
They differ from City in the way they constantly press you with aggression and intensity. Your defenders never get a minute because Roberto Firmino is always charging around and the midfield sets traps.
Added to that, they have an ability to score goals in flurries that can quickly kill a contest.
I would love to see them win the Champions League this season. Anfield is special to me, I have a lot of good friends in the city and even though it is 10 years since I left, the crowd have never failed to give me a good reception each time I have been back.
When I think of all the legends who have played there, it means the world that they still remember I gave my best for them.
They will know on the Kop that I will be doing everything to help Stoke take advantage if they show any sign of being preoccupied, and I hope they are feeling miserable after this particular game. But in the future? I only see good times. Liverpool look like they are on the march again.