READY STEADY
For Christmas cheer to pip Cherries down on the south coast Klopp: Scouts kept on until I gave green light to get Salah
JURGEN KLOPP has revealed Kop scouts refused to stop pestering him until he had signed Mo Salah.
The Egyptian striker is the leader of Liverpool’s Fab Four, having scored 19 goals in 25 appearances for the Reds this season.
And Klopp has saluted his scouting department for constantly being on his case to make Salah Liverpool’s most expensive ever signing at £34million in the summer.
That outlay is already being paid back with interest with Salah’s goals propelling Liverpool i nto the Champions League knock-out phase as well as helping them stay in contention for a top- four place at home.
Fantastic
Klopp said: “Our scouting department did a fantastic job around Mo. They just didn’t get out of our ears about him.
“It was 100 per cent... he is ready, he is ready. At one point, we were all sure he was ready so we got him. And that’s how it looks now. They did a great job, absolutely.
“There is only a short period of the season we have played so far but already I have been asked if I am surprised by what he is doing.
“I could be surprised if I had thought about it because I didn’t set out the number of goals I expected from him when we signed him. I didn’t tell him that you have to do this.
“We knew we were getting a very, very offensive-minded midfielder who plays a lot of games as a striker but also has the ability to make goals, to set up goals. So that what was the package we wanted, and that’s cool.”
But it’s not just his goals which have impressed Klopp. Salah’s durability, toughness and ability to stay clear of injury has made the German view his strike star differently after initially thinking he might lack the physicality required in English football.
Now, Klopp admits, despite rotating his other stars it would be a big call to leave him out even with Liverpool midway into a heavy December schedule. He explained: “It is true Mo starts often. often But because he is in a very very good moment, it is difficult to think about leaving him out.
“He is always a naturally fit player. We talk a lot to the medical department and it is really rare that there are any issues with him.
“You don’t hear that he’s had a problem here or a problem there, that’s a big thing. We and Mo himself have been lucky so far that there is nothing around him with injuries.”
Klopp admits Liverpool did plenty of homework on Salah before pushing the green button.
“We had to have a look at a lot of games he played to see about other parts of his game too. His physicality, being strong enough for challenges.
“But you see now, he is OK. I met him of course at one point and he looks more sturdy sturdy. If you watch him only on television he looks quite skinny.”
Chelsea have been criticised for allowing Salah to leave on loan first for Fiorentina and then Roma, who he joined permanently in a £12m move in July 2016.
But Klopp says it wasn’t Chelsea’s fault and Salah should be praised for bouncing back after such an early setback: “He was a kid of 21. We all need confidence.
Demanding
“We all need this kind of help from outside, especially as a young player in a foreign, very strong, very demanding league.
“So at Chelsea, there is nobody to blame, they had a fantastic team.
“Going from Basel to Chelsea is a brave decision, especially for a player from Egypt. Playing in Switzerland, it is kind of a dream going to a really big club c in England.
“Then you realise, ‘OK, it is not working’ but that didn’t make him think he wasn’t good enough. He wanted w to prove it.
“And so he went to Italy, Fiorentina, Roma, and he proved everything. And that is another difficult league for a s striker.
“They play different football but it i is difficult for a striker especially, and h he did well.
“And so we are really happy we could c convince him to come here.”
Last season, Jurgen Klopp could only watch in disbelief as his multimillion pound assembly of talent twice held a twogoal lead. Twice they were pulled back – and eventually they lost 4-3.
“I was there,” said Redknapp. “And Arsenal and Tottenham didn’t win there last season either.”
Liverpool would have hoped to come to Bournemouth in December with a chance of winning that elusive first Premier League title. That will not be happening this season.
The chasm between leaders Manchester City and Klopp’s men is huge.
Too huge according to Redknapp. “They are all short of Manchester City,” he said. “For me, Spurs are the second-best team.
“Liverpool have been hurt by injuries. Adam Lallana has been a big loss, he is an excellent player and an important player.
“But they have a lot of good, attacking players and they are always likely to get goals.”