Salah Struggling as Liverpool’s Front Three No Longer ‘Well-Drilled’, Says Klopp

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool reacts after the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC in Liverpool, Britain, 21 January 2023. (EPA)
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool reacts after the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC in Liverpool, Britain, 21 January 2023. (EPA)
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Salah Struggling as Liverpool’s Front Three No Longer ‘Well-Drilled’, Says Klopp

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool reacts after the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC in Liverpool, Britain, 21 January 2023. (EPA)
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool reacts after the English Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC in Liverpool, Britain, 21 January 2023. (EPA)

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah's struggles in front of goal are down to the club no longer having the "well-drilled" front three that terrorized defenses in the past, manager Juergen Klopp said.

Although Salah has scored 17 goals in all competitions at the halfway mark this season, he has scored only seven in the Premier League where he has averaged nearly 24 goals a season during his time with Liverpool.

The Egyptian forward has won three Golden Boots for most goals in a season, but has been far from his best after the summer departure of his strike partner Sadio Mane and injuries to Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.

"Of course Mo is suffering. It was a well-drilled machine the front three, everything was clear (in) what we were doing. Everybody suffers from that, that's clear," Klopp told reporters.

"It is specific, offensive play that requires a lot of work and lot of information, and not always obvious information. You create a feeling about a lot of these things, about where your team mate is and where to pass the ball without looking."

Mane moved to Bayern Munich in the close season while Jota, Firmino and Diaz have not played since the World Cup, with Liverpool falling to ninth in the standings.

Liverpool reinforced their attack with the mid-season signing of Dutch forward Cody Gakpo who is still adapting to the team, while Darwin Nunez has not been consistent, scoring just one goal in the FA Cup since the season restarted last month.

"In two or three weeks a couple more options will be available and we can mix it up. When Darwin is playing, he is obviously more high up, going in behind," Klopp added.

"We never played with a (number) nine before. Even when Sadio played in the position he was dropping (back) in moments. That's not Darwin's game, he wants to have balls at his feet and he's a real handful there.

"It is all good if they would all be in and we could build something, but we haven't been able to do that yet."



Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
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Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr Eyes Asian Glory amid Revitalized Saudi Pro League Campaign

Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Portuguese forward #7 Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Nassr and Al-Qadsia at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on November 22, 2024. (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hopes of winning a first major trophy since arriving in Saudi Arabia in 2022 were given an unlikely domestic lifeline on Saturday and, on Monday, the Portuguese star can help Al-Nassr stay on course for a first Asian title.

Ronaldo scored his seventh goal of the season against Al-Qadsia on Friday in a battle against Spanish defender Nacho but his former Real Madrid teammate was celebrating at the final whistle.

“It was a different and difficult game against Ronaldo,” Nacho said. “He is my friend and I had the best part of my career playing with him but here we have a different experience and are playing for different teams. It was an honor to play against him.”

Al-Nassr looked to be slipping out of the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title race. Al-Hilal, unbeaten in 46 league games, would have gone nine points clear on Saturday with a win against Al-Khaleej but despite leading 2-0, Hilal fell to a shock 3-2 defeat, a first since May 2023.

“We knew that the victories would not continue because this is football,” said Hilal forward Marcos Leonardo. “We have to work and achieve victory in the next match in the AFC Champions League Elite.”

Saudi Arabian clubs have yet to lose in the western zone of the Asian competition — the 24 teams in the tournament are divided into two groups of 12 with eight from each progressing to the Round of 16 after playing eight matches — and occupy the top three spots.

Al-Nassr is third with ten points from four games and will be almost certain of a place in the next round if it defeats Al-Gharafa of Qatar.

Al-Hilal, a four-time champion and top of the group with four wins, also travels to Qatar to face 2011 winner Al-Sadd. Unlike SPL games, Neymar is eligible to play in Asian competitions but the Brazilian is still recovering from the injury sustained against Esteghlal of Iran earlier in November.

Al-Ahli of Jeddah is second with the maximum 12 points and faces defending champion Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ain is bottom of the group and lost 5-4 to Hilal and then 5-1 to Nassr, defeats which cost Hernan Crespo his job as head coach earlier in November. The Argentine has been replaced by Leonardo Jardim, the Portuguese boss who led Al-Hilal to the 2021 continental title.

In the eastern zone, there is another former champion in 12th and last place. Ulsan HD, winner in 2012 and 2020, has lost all four games. Ulsan has just won a third successive South Korean title and needs to defeat newly-crowned Chinese champion Shanghai Port to keep chances of the second round alive.

Australia’s sole representative Central Coast Mariners is also in need of victory as it has just one point. The A-League team however has a daunting trip to Japan to face group leader Vissel Kobe.