Jurgen Klopp believes Mo Salah can match Cristiano Ronaldo‘s longevity in football – and will improve his chances of doing just that if he signs a new contract with Liverpool.
Klopp hailed Salah as the best player in the world on current form following the 5-0 demolition of Watford last weekend with the Egyptian underlining his manager’s claim with two more goals in the thrilling 3-2 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid in midweek.
Salah will come face-to-face with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo – seven years his senior – at Old Trafford on Sunday when he has the chance to show the world he is ready to take over the mantle of No 1 in the global game, a status shared by the Manchester United idol and Lionel Messi over the last 15 years.
Klopp was reluctant to compare Salah and Ronaldo’s qualities but insisted they share the same professionalism and dedication to their craft and that there is still more to come from his player.
Asked if Salah, 29, can match Ronaldo’s longevity he said: “You need luck, because things can happen, but I think the professionalism of both is the one thing you can compare, 100 per cent. It is probably the same.
“Mo is incredibly professional. He is really the first one in and very often the last out of all the players. He is constantly interested in all the things he can do and has to do to keep or improve the standard. I think he still has a lot to give.
“Why should we compare? Obviously, both are world-class players. Even though Ronaldo’s left foot is not bad, I would say Mo’s left foot is probably better. Cristiano may be better in the air and his right foot is probably better.
“Speed-wise, both are pretty quick and desperate to score goals but I’ve never really thought about that. I’m not too interested in comparing, sorry.”
Klopp believes however that Salah – who has scored 137 goals in 214 appearances for Liverpool – will only benefit from extending a contract that is due to expire in 2023. “It helps him for sure and the team he is playing for then as well – and I hope it is us!”
Klopp will have been encouraged to hear that Salah very much sees his long-term future at Anfield.
“If you ask me, I would love to stay until the last day of my football career, but I can’t say much about that – it’s not in my hands,” Salah told Sky Sports.
“It depends on what the club want, not on me. At the moment I can’t see myself ever playing against Liverpool. That would make me sad. It’s hard, I don’t want to talk about it, but it would make me really sad.
“At the moment I don’t see myself playing against Liverpool but let’s see what will happen in the future.”
While much of the focus will be on Salah and Ronaldo, Klopp put the emphasis on defending at the “highest level” if Liverpool are to repel United’s attacking threat, despite going into the game with a remarkable record of scoring three or more goals in their seven away games in all competitions this season.
“If we didn’t defend well at United I don’t know a reason why we would even get on the coach and go there,” he added. “Because the quality they have offensively is absolutely ridiculous.
“I really don’t think it’s very likely we will score three goals at United but we never before a game think more about scoring then we do about defending. So for us, it’s 100 per cent clear that to get in the game, to stay in the game and to win the game at United you have to defend at your absolute highest level.
“We have to focus on that but not only that as we have to create and play football. It’s important to be incredibly brave because each ball you lose against United is a massive red flag because of the speed they have on the counter-attack.”
With Thiago still injured, fit-again Curtis Jones is set to come into midfield in place of Naby Keita as Liverpool bid to extend a 21-match unbeaten record that stretches back to their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last March.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3m4YJsG
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