Welcome Mohamed Salah

[Hassony]

8 hours ago, Case said:

Quansah behind him. A goosed midfield alongside. Why didn’t he just score a hat trick?

Playing alongside this version of Jota doesn't help either 

[Swipe]

8 hours ago, YugoB said:

I hope so as well, he should be binning off international football if he wants to prolong his career however. He's going to be absolutely wrecked in the next two years coming off afcon and world cup. 

I’m starting to think if those things could be a sticking point in contract talks. Another winter afcon coming up. 
 

Also wonder if he’s been a little affected by Ramadan this year. He looks a little pale to me. 

[Romario]

I don’t get why we launch balls up to him. He’s probably one 3 headers in his entire career. He doesn’t challenge for them so why do it. Yesterday we did it when he was marked by Dan Burn. Just brainless. 

[Hassony]

11 minutes ago, Swipe said:

I’m starting to think if those things could be a sticking point in contract talks. Another winter afcon coming up. 
 

Also wonder if he’s been a little affected by Ramadan this year. He looks a little pale to me. 

Our next game is after Ramadan,  so hopefully he'll take it out on Everton 

[Benzo-13]

Why didn’t we move him off the wing if they’d a system for him? Even against PSG when the guy had him for speed. Screams a bit inflexible.

[PaulMcC186]

He'd have been fine if it was just MacAlister playing ok behind him.

[D.Boon]

1 hour ago, Swipe said:

He looks a little pale to me. 

Haha. Mrs B says this about me and the kids all the time.

Usually when we have sneaked a biscuit instead of broccoli behind her back.

38 minutes ago, Benzo-13 said:

Why didn’t we move him off the wing if they’d a system for him? Even against PSG when the guy had him for speed. Screams a bit inflexible.

Always baffles me this and pre dates Slot. The other world beating forwards of recent years got license to shift about a bit. Getting no joy out of the full back then go and spend 15 minutes on the other side. I know there's a shape and system but for talents of his magnitude you'd hope we could make it work.

[Dan]

This has now become the most difficult of the three contracts to solve imo.

[Swipe]

21 minutes ago, Dan said:

This has now become the most difficult of the three contracts to solve imo.

Why so?

[Dan]

10 minutes ago, Swipe said:

Why so?

I think he has the potential  for the biggest drop off. We are seeing it in front of our eyes - for whatever reason (a variety I expect).

[Swipe]

1 minute ago, Dan said:

I think he has the potential  for the biggest drop off. We are seeing it in front of our eyes - for whatever reason (a variety I expect).

Yeah I guess you can see that POV from them if he wants another big salary. Particularly as attack needs the most surgery in the summer.

Trent is off though, so I’m just not sure they could watch two of them go. VVD will clearly re-sign imo. 

[Dan]

2 minutes ago, Swipe said:

Yeah I guess you can see that POV from them if he wants another big salary. Particularly as attack needs the most surgery in the summer.

Trent is off though, so I’m just not sure they could watch two of them go. VVD will clearly re-sign imo. 

Yeah I don't think Trent is complicated. He just wants out.

Virgil looks like the one who has most longevity at the top level in his position.

[Swipe]

Just now, Dan said:

Yeah I don't think Trent is complicated. He just wants out.

Virgil looks like the one who has most longevity at the top level in his position.

If we had to be ruthless about it, as much as I love Salah and want him to stay, Virgil is the one that is unthinkable not to get done. 

[Hassony]

2 minutes ago, Swipe said:

If we had to be ruthless about it, as much as I love Salah and want him to stay, Virgil is the one that is unthinkable not to get done. 

Virgil can still be a top player for another 5 years 

Plus we need to sort him out considering we might have an issue with Konate next summer 

[redjersey]

34 minutes ago, Hassony said:

Virgil can still be a top player for another 5 years 

Plus we need to sort him out considering we might have an issue with Konate next summer 

If Konate hasn't signed an extension before the end of June he needs to be sold. we can’t have another valuable player leave for free.

[Ombudsam]

3 hours ago, Swipe said:

I’m starting to think if those things could be a sticking point in contract talks. Another winter afcon coming up. 
 

Also wonder if he’s been a little affected by Ramadan this year. He looks a little pale to me. 

Probably need him to take a pay cut and turn his back on his God and his country.

Get it done Hughes!

[Johna99]

9 hours ago, Dan said:

I think he has the potential  for the biggest drop off. We are seeing it in front of our eyes - for whatever reason (a variety I expect).

I see parallels with Mane's last season with us. Mane wasn't as effective on the wing, moved more centrally and his intelligence got him goals and assists not his athleticism. I see this a bit in Salah, he struggles to get away from his man but his intelligence has helped him score and assist tonnes. All a mute point, whatever contract we give him, if his legs go we can always sell to Saudi for more than any new contract would cost us. A new contract makes sense from a business perspective 

[YugoB]

49 minutes ago, Johna99 said:

I see parallels with Mane's last season with us. Mane wasn't as effective on the wing, moved more centrally and his intelligence got him goals and assists not his athleticism. I see this a bit in Salah, he struggles to get away from his man but his intelligence has helped him score and assist tonnes. All a mute point, whatever contract we give him, if his legs go we can always sell to Saudi for more than any new contract would cost us. A new contract makes sense from a business perspective 

Salah however is effective in a different way on the wing, he's become a playmaker, which was something that Mane hasn't been able to do. It's why he's on the verge of breaking Henry's assist record.