Mo Salah is a Liverpool legend, rightly adored, a creator of so many special memories, but the club will go on without him whenever he leaves

And the Premier League will go on without him...

Mo Salah is such a colossal figure in English, Egyptian and world football that waves of emotion inevitably crash through any debate about his behaviour towards his Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, and his future at Liverpool.

The touchline stand-off at the London Stadium on Saturday was sad to see. Salah’s “if I speak, there will be fire” comment was sad to read. Liverpool’s No 11 needed to show more respect to the man who has had such incredible influence on his career. The contretemps was against what Liverpool, Klopp and Salah stand for: unity, humility, respect, team first.

Mo Salah and Jurgen Klopp at London Stadium. Pic: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

       There’s a risk of being swept away when stepping into this whirlpool of opinions so it is worth grasping hold of certain realities. The first is that Salah has not been playing well recently, and Klopp, like every manager, has to pick those he feels are in the best form. The counterpoint is that the benched Salah has 23 goals and 12 assists this season and seemed frustrated that his form over a long period was not taken into account.

       Any anger needs expressing only in the dressing-room or the manager’s office, certainly away from the public eye. Nobody benefits from a public spat between the club’s two highest-profile individuals. Other salient facts include Salah’s age, 32 in June. Luka Modric is three games short of the half-century for the season – at 38 – and Salah looks after himself well, but whether he can press and impose himself with the physicality and pace of the Premier League week in, week out is an issue. Salah can for now, as one stunning sprint against West Ham showed, but all times at a club come to an end, even great love stories like Salah’s with Liverpool.

There is also the reality that one of the Saudi Pro League clubs will offer Liverpool a fortune for him. Al Ittihad proposed a £150m deal last August. If £100m was dangled in front of Liverpool this summer, even north of £70m for a player whose contract expires in 2025, they would surely have to consider taking it. Sound financial sense, especially in the age of Profit & Sustainability Rules, demands it.

Footballing sense demands it, especially if the money for a soon-to-be 32-year-old in slow decline was reinvested wisely as it doubtless would be with Michael Edwards returning. Any decision by either party needs taking early this summer. Reports from reliable quarters like David Ornstein of the Athletic signal the club want him to stay, possibly in a more central role under the incoming head coach, Arne Slot, and that he also is keen to remain. He will need to fight the advancing years as well as opposing defenders.

       For nothing lasts forever. The overwhelming fact is that players come and go, even greats are replaced. When Kevin Keegan moved from Liverpool to Hamburg in 1977, Anfield mourned. Until they realised quite how good the incoming Kenny Dalglish was.

       When Liverpool and Salah do part company it will be with thanks for the many memories. Outgoing players will always have a place in fans’ hearts. One strop on the touchline cannot overshadow the 210 goals in 346 games for Liverpool, putting Salah fifth on the list of the club’s all-time scorers behind Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Gordon Hodgson and Billy Liddell.

       Fans will remember the magical goals. They will recall excitedly Salah using his strength and speed to leave David Luiz for dead on the right, cutting in and scoring imperiously against Arsenal in 2017. They will never forget his close control and confidence in dribbling past five Watford players in 2018. Salah dropped a shoulder at one point and sent three yellow shirts the wrong way before gliding past the other two to complete his hat-trick.

       They will always cherish the moment from the same year when Salah charged in from the right against Tottenham, weaving past Ben Davies, Dele Alli, Jan Vertonghen and Eric Dier to score. They will celebrate that speed on the counter, delivering against Southampton in 2019, ripping his purple shirt off, as Andy Robertson grabbed him and screamed “come on”. Liverpool on a roll, giving momentum by the man called Mo.

The love of his team-mates was always there then, and they will always have that connection. Jordan Henderson hugged Salah and shouted “what a goal” after he drilled a shot in against Chelsea in front of a joyous Kop. Salah loves the big occasions, scoring against Spurs at the start of the 2019 Champions League final, and time after time at Old Trafford.

       They will marvel at the Egyptian King’s left foot, contributing 125 of his 156 Premier League goals, and respect his right, provider of 23, including an unstoppable drive almost breaking the net against Manchester United in front of a delirious Kop in 2023. Not to mention the eight headers – and 68 assists. Not to mention his sportsmanship. Salah plays the game the right way, doesn’t dive, and rarely gets booked, only nine times in 260 Premier League appearances.

       Liverpool supporters will also remember what Klopp has done for Salah, the platform he gave him, that role on the right often free of extensive defensive duties. Salah’s success is rooted in his ability and attitude but Klopp’s commitment to him should also be celebrated.

The Kop will also remember that Salah still had much to prove when moving to Liverpool in 2017. He’d done well at Roma, 19 goals in 41, but there was always the memory of his underwhelming time at Chelsea. He came under Klopp’s sway, and immediately scored 44 goals in 52 in 2017/18. “What a season!” enthused the great Pele.

He went on to share so many trophies with Klopp: the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup. But the fact remains that Liverpool will live on when Salah goes, just as it will when Klopp departs, just as the Premier League will survive. One of the many reasons why the Premier League is so special is the constant changing cast of characters. The greats come and go, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo leaving but the show goes on.

       Now the focus is on Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka and the next generation. Premier League social-media traffic may dip when Salah leaves but someone else will generate attention. Even with all the problems over PSR and VAR, the game remains strong. It will never rest on the future plans of one individual, even one as revered as Salah.

**

Tottenham Hotspur knew what Arsenal were going to do at corners on Sunday. Everyone does. Ben White was going to be a pest around Guglielmo Vicario, a goalkeeper known for occasional hesitancy at balls dropped in his six-yard box. White was going to block and distract, even trying to undo Vicario’s gloves. So why didn’t Ange Postecoglou put a player on White to force him away from Vicario? Arsenal’s specialist set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, works hard on these practices, and they make a huge difference. White – and Jover – were fundamental to Arsenal’s victory. For Spurs to take the next step, as they can do under the inspirational Postecoglou, they need some more scientific, specialist preparation.

**

Sir Alex Ferguson once raised a combative-looking eyebrow when someone suggested “that all Andy Cole does is score goals”. Where was the link-up play, the tracking back, and decoy runs to open space for others? Cole performed some of those duties, but Ferguson’s terse response was that the game was about goals. Cole scored 121 in 275 games for him at Manchester United. Cole was clinical, and the record books do him due justice. Just as they currently do for Erling Haaland.

The Manchester City centre-forward has been criticised at times this season, with even the old argument trotted out that City performed better with a false 9 before he arrived. This rather ignores they won a Treble with him last season and the ruthless Norwegian was crowned Footballer of the Year. Even having missed two months of this season, Haaland has 32 goals and six assists in 40 games. He heads the race for the Golden Boot in the Premier League. His hunger for goals is astonishing. Haaland was clinical with his one real chance when coming on against Nottingham Forest. There is no better finisher in the Premier League.