Klopp: I was not concerned for a second

Salah S Cook

SO what now?

Is all the guff about the race being over before Christmas and the title already heading back to the Etihad going to stop?

What about that nonsense about Mo Salah being a one-season wonder?

Too few people outside Anfield have been prepared to accept that a revamped Liverpool, with that reinforced defence, are ready to see this thing through.

Now they have no choice. That’s now 12 goals – 10 in the Premier League – from 22 appearances in all competitions this season for Salah. By the end here on the south coast, Bournemouth were glad to see the back of him.

Yes, he’d scored six more by this stage 12 months ago, but Salah is ripping to shreds the idea he is a shadow of last season’s goalscorer supreme.

After Champions League heartbreak and struggling with injury at the World Cup, he returned to England with massive pressure on him to replicate last season’s heroics.

But it was always going to take time to get back into his groove. The sheer impudence of the way Salah grabbed his hat-trick here, however, suggested confidence once more pumps through his veins.

Boss Jurgen Klopp was naturally delighted to have had his complete faith in his star man vindicated.

“I was not for one second worried,” he said. “I don’t know what was written, but we have to develop always and to confirm or to prove again a 41-goal season.

“Everybody would kind of struggle a little bit. How would you prove it? If you score in the first five games 10 goals, everybody would say, ‘It could happen again’. But if you score 39, it would be, ‘Yeah, but it’s not 41’.

“So, we all have to learn to deal with it and he has as well. He has never had a season like that and, if he wants to have the season again, he has to do it step by step.

“That’s what we do and that’s what he is doing.”

Napoli, in rude health after a 4-0 win over Frosinone on Saturday, have now won their last three and will fancy their chances of completing a Champions League double over Liverpool. But Klopp will take on the Serie A giants with a front three primed and ready to rumble. Salah tucked away the rebound from Roberto Firmino’s shot for his first against Bournemouth.

His second saw the Egyptian turn the Cherries’ defence this way and that, before sending it into the bottom corner. Steve Cook put through his own net for 3-0, Sadio Mane came off the bench to leave the home players rolling their eyes in exasperation, then Salah twice left keeper Asmir Begovic on his backside to complete his hat-trick.

“I would say even the first goal was an exceptional finish,” said Klopp.

“How often do we get a situation like that and the guy who gets the ball thinks, ‘Oh, free goal’ and we are still looking for the ball.

“So he made that really composed. And two and three, I don’t know who would have scored these goals. That was outstanding. So all credit to him, great.

Let’s carry on.”