30 May 2022 10:12:00
Few thoughts I've heard floating around, i would love to hear what you all think.

Could Salahs dip in form be associated or linked with Firmino's absence during second half of the season?

Could the contract issues around have had any negative impact on performance during the last few weeks?

Did some form of complacency have cost us this season?

Will love to hear some objective thoughts on these and how we could take our game 2 levels higher as all the other teams around us will be aiming to take a step up.

{Ed0666's Note - I honestly think Salah is burnt out due to the extra curricular international commitments after all he’s only human. I’m not dismissing the notion he may have regressed in quality but I will reserve judgement until next season when he’s had a full summer to rest.

1.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 10:24:11
I think the burden of international football has taken its toll on him.

2.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 10:45:55
Salah has been phenomenal for us, despite talking big and said he's motivation then ever to down Madrid that was exactly how he has played second half of the season without any urgency or purpose despite he's words.

Think this over burn is over played coz even mane played the Same amount of games and had more urgency then Salah since coming back From AFCON despite Salah getting some rest before Our biggest game in 3/ 4 yrs

Once a player starts getting in he's 30s and especially relies on pace has more chances of regressing compare to players who don't rely on pace.

Just look at Mane how quickly he regressed and was unable to play on wider areas.

Hence I think this is a perfect summer to get some transfer fee for him which will help us a lot to get players who are hungrier and have a point to prove. Just my opinion lads.

3.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 10:43:22
The lad is knackered! He’s not stopped! His form has massively dropped and I’d say this is the reason why!

4.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 11:24:11
The problem I have with him is he gets in his own head at times. I am all for being ambitious and setting personal targets but sometimes it feels like it is consuming him.

5.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 11:50:22
Do you know him well @Fly or are you basic your opinion on what the media quote him as saying?

6.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 12:05:26
If Salah was burnt out then surely Mane should have been as well?

7.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 12:16:14
Elite sport is about %s. Mane wins AFCON and that gives you a few extra % for final games. Salah doesn’t and it removes a few %. With a rest and Orr season salah will be back on top form I have no doubt next season.

8.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 12:17:22
Reckon Mo will benefit from full pre-season training camp and not going to the World Cup.

He could be refreshed and have a brilliant season for us.

I think we will be really pushing for number 20 and Jurgen clearly wants number 7.

9.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 12:20:47
Not sure what the media are saying about him. His words (he's very open about his ambitions and he is entitled to be), his body language, his reactions (visible frustration when things aren't going for him) and his performances tell me that he puts a lot of pressure on himself and gets in his own head at times.

This is not just based on this season. He went through a very difficult spell in front of goal last year too.

Sometimes he needs to relax a bit.

I should add that the fact that image rights are the sticking point on the contract negotiations suggest that he is very interested in the way he is perceived in football.

10.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 12:23:03
Mane is running on empty but is still on a winning streak. Mo had the hopes of a whole nation placed on his shoulders. he needs rest and our support. He'll be back stronger and we're looking at back-ups for his position.

11.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 12:34:27
So he didn't have AFCON in 2021/ 22 season and his production fell off significantly in the second half of the season much in the same way it did this season. Maybe he is a fast starter and then he tails off? Maybe he needs some sports psychology coaching to help him maintain his levels?

that's two season in a row now, developing a bit of a pattern. the reason? who knows, but it's not a one-off to me.

12.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 12:50:47
There was no complacency. We were very consistent.
Salah's form dropped off in the second half of the season but he was excellent in the first half of it. Could it be due to tiredness? Probably. I think the team in general looked tired though. But apart from Spurs and Real, we kept on winning. It was a great effort.
I don't know about Firmino's absence- as Jota was playing instead of him anyway- but I definitely think Diaz gave us a huge boost.
If we hadn't signed Diaz I don't think we'd have done as well as we did.
I think Jota's loss of form was more significant than Firmino's absence.
Maybe that is Jota's level though and he just had a scoring spell in the first half up the season.

13.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 13:24:59
oops, obvs meant no AFCON in 2020/ 21 season.

14.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 13:27:07
he is very much burned out in my opinion.

15.) 30 May 2022
30 May 2022 19:35:19
Not sure if this is a legitimate call but does Trent coming inside more and more affect Salah or is that something I've made up?

I've noticed Salah getting the ball right on the touchline in the areas Henderson had often taken up previously. Only reason I've noticed is because it annoys me slightly that our best player is receiving the ball so far away from goal. I want him on the corner of the box to cut inside and curl it in or do a mad jinking run towards the front post. I feel him getting it so far out wide is a waste especially against a low block. Maybe that's why he's out there because the box is too crowded.