Klopp urges Mohamed Salah to remain cool and keep working
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah must stay calm as only time will help him to rediscover his best form for the Reds, manager Jürgen Klopp said.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp once again backed Mohamed Salah, telling the forward to stay "completely relaxed" as he looks for a return to form. Salah has yet to hit the kind of form his showed at his peak last season, beginning the campaign with just three goals in eight games - although overall, he is just one goal short of his tally this time last year.
The Egypt international was substituted during the second half of Liverpool's draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where Daniel Sturridge scored a stunning late equaliser - probably to rest him ahead of tonight's Champions League Matchday 2 meeting with Napoli. Speaking ahead of the game, Klopp said Salah needed to remain calm over his form.
Salah will find his feet again - Klopp
"It is about your confidence. His game is really good. His last game was really good – he was in the positions but then the last two balls were not too cool. That happens," he told UK newspapers. "He lost balls in those situations last year. How do you deal with it? Be relaxed, completely relaxed, because there is no need for anything else. Completely relaxed. The quality is there and so everything is fine."
Pushing City in the Premier League
Despite Salah's dip in form, Liverpool are second in the Premier League and started their European campaign with a win over Paris Saint-Germain. Salah's first season at Anfield was an impressive one to say the least - the forward netted 44 goals in 52 games in all competitions and set a new Premier League goals record. But Klopp said it was best to judge Salah based on what Liverpool achieved collectively in 2018-19.
Salah always works for the team
"There are not big talks necessary, just a completely normal situation. If you don't score 10 goals in your first seven games then everybody asks if you can do it again," he said. "It is not interesting, even Ian Rush didn't score 40 goals in 10 seasons, season after season after season. That's not how it works. You have to be a proper threat. As an offensive player you have to work hard. If it's 20 or whatever at the end of season it depends how much success we have as a team if it is successful or not. There is no personal success possible. All awards are for everyone. We do what we do best."