Former Premier League player Jamie O’Hara has admitted he feels sorry for Liverpool ace Mo Salah and has compared the Anfield favourite to Harry Kane.
The forward failed to attempt a single shot or create a chance for a teammate during Liverpool’s 2-1 League Cup final defeat to Newcastle on Sunday – the first time that’s happened during his Reds career.
The 32-year-old was far from his usual best, as were many of Arne Slot’s players in the capital, but it’s Salah who has 54 goal contributions in 43 appearances this season (across all competitions) who will be singled out.
O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport (as quoted by GOAL): “I feel for Mohamed Salah, he’s a bit like Harry Kane.
“He’s a brilliant player – there’s no doubt – but if you want to be classed as the ‘hero’ player for Liverpool, like Steven Gerrard and Ian Rush, you have to perform in finals. While, yes, Liverpool do have the trophies, they’ve relied on the team performance rather than individuals.
“Him personally, in a final, hasn’t really performed to his usual standard we see often in the Premier League. He was non-existent in the EFL Cup final against Newcastle. In eight finals for Liverpool and Egypt, I think he’s only scored one and assisted one, and the goal was a penalty against Tottenham. He has to be more of a presence in big games.”
Our No. 11 has now featured in 11 finals for Liverpool and his nation Egypt – netting just twice across those games (both penalties).
It would be wrong to claim that Salah doesn’t turn up in big games, because he’s carried his side so many times down the years, but this is a concerning statistic.
Liverpool currently find themselves 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League table and it’s the former Roma man who is the top goalscorer and has the most assists in the competition this season.
He can’t always be relied on however, and that showed at Wembley at the weekend with only Harvey Elliott and Fede Chiesa (both late substitutes) able to take positives from their performance.
Salah will be more hungry than ever to continue his fine form during the final games of the campaign as we seek to seal our 20th league title.
