Jose worry as he says... MO IS A NUCLEAR WEAPON
JOSE MOURINHO says Liverpool star Mo Salah has become a fearsome “nuclear” weapon.
It was Mourinho who invested in the Egyptian’s talents when he brought him to Chelsea from Basel in January 2014 in what is now a laughable £11million deal.
Thirteen months later, the Egyptian was shipped out on loan to Fiorentina after being unable to establish himself at Stamford Bridge.
But now as a Liverpool sensation, the whole world has witnessed Salah’s meteoric rise to fame since boss Jurgen Klopp signed him from Roma two summers ago.
Sensational Salah’s emergence as one of the best players on the planet hasn’t taken Mourinho by surprise though.
Far from it as the Manchester United manager works overtime on how to stop Salah in his tracks at Anfield this afternoon.
Mourinho said: “I think he has developed incredibly well at every level. Physically an amazing development. He was a fast, fragile boy and now he is a fast, strong man.
“He is nuclear in the strength. And he plays like, ‘I’m Mo Salah and I’m afraid of nobody’.
“He was psychologically not adapted coming direct from a small club in Switzerland to a big club in the Premier League. It was too much.
“I remember I played him at White Hart Lane and at The Etihad and it was too much for him.
“Now, he plays anywhere against any team. He can go to Barcelona. Can go to Madrid.
“He is completely different to the player we brought from Basel to Chelsea. He was a project player. Now he is one of the best players in the world.”
But Mourinho isn’t just worried about stopping Salah, 26, from having a massive impact at Anfield this afternoon.
The United boss knows only too well the abundance of talent he will come up against.
Mourinho added: “Every match we try to analyse opponents, all the strengths and the weaknesses.
“And when you go to Liverpool they have many strengths.
“But, of course, we have to think about him and think the best way to cope with a fantastic player like he is.
“At this moment, Salah sometimes plays from the right, while at other times he plays as the striker with Firmino dropping behind him.
“They have so many possibilities to try to get the best out of Salah.
“But we want to play our own game as well. We have to think about him for sure but also try at least to give them a difficult match.”
There’s no doubt that Mourinho – unlike Salah – will have a huge smile on his face if United triumph over the old enemy for his second victory in the fixture in his two and a half years in the job.
Mourinho said: “I’m not frustrated because my work is to give. What I demand from the players is for the players to give everything they have.
“I only demand things I can give myself. So what I ask the players to do that’s what I do. You have to work hard. You have to work on your limits. It’s my job.
“But it’s not about me complaining or moaning. I’m answering these questions because you put these questions to me.
“Am I enjoying managing as much as when I started?
“Yes. It’s enjoyable. Different, but enjoyable. Different because of the nature of the job but still enjoyable.”
Liverpool v Man United Today, 4pm, Sky Sports Main Event