Salah Returns To Liverpool Squad

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0:34Welcome to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Craig Burley and Stevie Nicholl. And we'll look ahead to Stevie's old side. Liverpool are in action this weekend against Brighton. Of course, both sitting in the top ten at the table. For the defending champions, though, once again, the discussion has been all about Mo Salah. Liverpool sitting 10th, Brighton 8th. It's at Anfield. And we learned today, according to ESPN sources, that Mo Salah is in the squad for that game. Steve, are you surprised? I am a little. But on the other hand, when I look at the injury list in terms of forward players, then there's no question that Mohamed Salah has had a conversation with Arnaud Slott and smoothed things over.

1:15And Arnaud Slott's in a position where he actually might need Mohamed Salah at some stage against Brighton. So it seems like they're both comfortable. Do you start him? No. I wouldn't start him. No, absolutely not. I think you have to set the team up the way he has since Leeds United. Right. You know, they have to make sure they're tight and then he can go forward from there. And then that means that Mo Salah can come off the bench if needed and probably will. And I think that's the best way forward. And it's obviously better for the team, as I said, because of the injuries. it's a good thing for Liverpool So you could always put him on the bench which you probably will and leave him on the bench which you possibly will and then see if we get another reaction from Mo Salah in the mix zone but yeah he's got some injuries Corey Gakpo's been a pretty consistent player for them Alexander Izzak is starting to get some goals getting some fitness but he just can't get a run of games so yeah I mean it's with Mo Salah going away to the AFCON anyway I think this is his last game Or is it?

2:26Or is it the wave goodbye to the crowd? I don't know. It's been a drama, hasn't it? It has been a drama. It's been a soap opera. It's been a real drama. We've covered it extensively here and we've talked about it in a lot of different angles. How would you feel if you're his teammate, Stevie? I don't care. I don't care. I want him to win the game. Liverpool need to win the game. That's the only thing that the players should be thinking about and will be thinking about. You know, I don't... Players... Players will have their opinion of whether he should have said anything, when he should have said it, should he have been in the mix.

2:56At the end of the day, they don't care. They want to win again. Right now, Liverpool need to get points. And if it means Mo Salah's on the bench, then that's good. Because they understand that if Mo Salah can produce what he's capable of, then guess what? It's going to help them get a result. Because that's what they need. So I don't think the players have any problem with that at all. I don't know about your experience. My experience is players don't really care if another player falls out with the manager. If he's a problem in the dressing room and he's fallen out with other players and he's a bit of a snake in the grass and a backstabber.

3:28Is it not quite snobbery from him to say, look, I'm better than you lot. I deserve to be in the starting XI. It doesn't matter what I do. Yeah, I mean, there is a little bit of that. But I don't think the players will. I think the players will just see. The players will just see it as somebody who has basically thrown his toys out of the pram. And he's extremely unhappy. And everybody reacts a little differently. Some go and knock on the manager's door and have a quiet word. Some say nothing. Just buckle down and train and do it that way. But he, obviously, as a superstar, has gone about it a different way, a great way for the media.

3:58But in general, players don't care. We saw in midweek what the players think about the Mohamed Salah situation. They went out and probably produced the best performance of the season. That doesn't happen if you're thinking about... Boring everyone to death. Did you watch a different game? Well, he was out. I mean, he did check that day off. Are you having a laugh? Absolutely. I was absolutely delighted. I was so delighted that they bored me to death, by the way. What a terrible match. Who cares? What do you want? I mean, what do you want? You want it because of a dodgy penalty. Would you rather Liverpool played really well and got beat 2-1?

4:39What do you think? What do you think? That he thought was a penalty. Wait a minute. You beat Aston Villa at home. Brilliant. great game against a team that are flying at the moment, but that wasn't your best performance? No. Why? Because it was... You know what? I was... At no stage was I worried. When Inter Milan were going forward. No stage in this game. Liverpool, for the most part, were in control of this game, away from home, in Milan. Have you watched Liverpool? If Liverpool were so inspired by... Dan, nobody cares. You've got to start somewhere. No, wait a minute. But then why didn't they win the other games at Mo Salah?

5:17I've just told you. I've just told you that the fact that they went to Milan and won 1-0 and were comfortable for the majority of the game away from home in the Champions League, that tells you what they think about Mo Salah with all the carry-on. I'm sorry. That makes no sense. Well, it makes no sense to you. It makes no sense because if you drop Mo Salah and then you go on a great run... Had Liverpool gone to Milan and got beat 3-0, then maybe we could say, well, you know what? Part of the problem was the situation with Mo Salah. The fact that the control, whether you want to be bold or whether you want to be excited, football makes no difference.

5:53Why bother getting him back? If you're so great without him. You're just asking a stupid question because I didn't agree with what you said. It's what you're trying to say as you were happy with that they looked a lot more solid. Absolutely. Rather than it was spectacular. Was I watching a different game than this guy? Were they in control of the game away from home, the majority? It was as comfortable as they've been for a while without playing great. Again, I don't care if they don't look like Brazil in the pomp. Look at you, your wee smirky face. You must be feeling better. Oh, he's feeling great.

6:28Your wee smirky face. I just can't believe... Didn't you see him with Xabi Alonso? I can't believe that. That's the greatest performance I've seen from Liverpool this season. I'm so proud. This is... I was turning the corner. He was on his deathbed that day, wasn't he? I've been watching Liverpool this year. No question, a fan, a supporter of Liverpool, has been absolute... I mean, you're... So what are we going to get from Liverpool tomorrow? Complete panic mode. So what are we getting from Liverpool tomorrow? That's the question. Because Brighton are a really funny side. They could be up there or down there.

7:00All I said was... All I said was that set him off was that the performance in Milan, right, showed that the Mohamed Salah carry on hadn't affected them that much. But apparently, according to Dan, it has to. Are you kidding? What are you talking about? How can you see that? Excuse me, I didn't say it had to affect them at all. What were you talking about? I can't believe that you watched that game and were so excited about the prospect. I never said I was excited. Best performance of the season. Best performance of the season. How did that not get you excited? I wasn't excited. I was calm. I was absolutely opposite of excited.

7:41I was very very calm watching it. I was pleasantly surprised They found their mojo and they're so good now. Why have you got doubts going into the game? I said then you're coming up with another stupid question. Nobody said they'd found their mojo All I said was all I said was they proved the point that they're capable of going to Milan and winning a game without Mo Salah So it clearly didn't affect them that much. They can go to Milan and do an impression so much. Surely they can do it at home against Brighton Well, you were the one that brought it up. There have been performances, apparently, according to you.

8:10Aston Villa. Why can't... All of a sudden, everything's rosy in the garden. Well, we thought it was, actually, after Aston Villa and Real Madrid, didn't we? Well, no, we didn't. Who said it was rosy? I think there was definitely some... You tell me that. I said everything was sorted. We're all good. Everything's good. We're all done. After Madrid. No. No, exactly. Well, what are you talking about, then? Well, I think there was a general consensus that this was an improvement. Robbie, wait. did you watch the show when you were ill? Nobody said that. All we said was, you know what, that's a start.

8:40Right. A good performance is a start. OK, good. And then we don't know. And this question is, what are we going to get as Brighton? Yes. And my answer is, I don't know. Right. I don't know. So Wednesday doesn't count for any... The result against Milan doesn't count for any... Well, that wasn't your question. Your question was Mo Salah. I just told you that Mo Salah clearly hadn't affected them that badly because they put a performance on against Inter Milan away. So it's another one. Can they do it against Brighton? Well, because they've shown that they can't string two good performances together so far this season.

9:10Right. They're not going to win a title. Does that come as a surprise to you? Or is everything rosy now that they won in Milan, apparently? Well, that's the way you sold it. You're the one who brought it up. They're not going to win a title now, so they need to start getting results because they're not... Obviously, they're too far behind. They're too inconsistent. You can't turn this can inform around to go on a title charge, which we thought they would be doing at the start of the season. However, their objective now has to be top four for the Champions League next year, for the money and all that comes with it and the players.

9:41And that's in jeopardy. So they need to start with Brighton. They need to start coming up to the end of this year, coming into the Christmas period, to show that they can put a run together in the second half of the season to get into the top four, top five, whatever it is for the Champions League places. And I think at the moment, there is a doubt about that. Of course. I don't think there is any doubt that we have no idea what Liverpool side are going to turn up. You could put the same 11 out that was in Milan that was pretty solid, for them anyway, and get a completely different outcome, completely different game, because at home they're going to want to try and get on the front foot.

10:23They're going to try and push forward. They're going to get the crowd behind them and then they're going to leave those spaces again. They're going to leave Kanati and Van Dijk exposed. I mean, can Robertson play a game, another game? You know, he played in midweek. It's a big question whether he could play on the Wednesday and the Saturday. So there's a few questions there. It was interesting, though, that he played Eketiki and Isaac. And obviously he can't do that supposedly tomorrow because of the injury to Isaac. So what's going to happen tomorrow? What's your prediction? And what's going to happen with Salah?

10:53I think Salah, well, he could start now that Isaac is injured and Eketiki played for Gakpo's out. He could actually start when you think about it. I can't see it. Who else? Why would he not try and play 4-4-2 again and have Ekotiki invert? Why shouldn't... I was talking about how I thought that they controlled a lot of the game against Inter. The biggest difference between Brighton and Inter is when the ball's turned over, Brighton are going to get out of Liverpool way quicker than Inter have tried to do. and that's the answer we can't give because the pace at Brighton will go at Liverpool's back line, we can't stand here and honestly say, oh I'm really confident they're going to stand up to it.

11:40So I think it has to go 4-4 too. I think it has to try and get more bodies in the middle of the park the way it has done and try and when the ball is turned over, get people behind the ball and if they do that, then we might see some more control from Liverpool. So Saraz sits for the whole game? I think he sits at the start. And then, listen, an ideal scenario would be to bring him on and give him some time because there is still a huge doubt whether he's going to go. So what's the score going to be? What's going to happen? Oh, gosh. I could see a draw in this game. I just think Liverpool, their ailments defensively are still there.

12:18Inter Milan did not expose that. They've not been really that good this season, to be honest. I'm going to go for a 2-2 draw. I'm going to hope it's a 2-2 draw. Really? Well, the back four. It's going to be Joel Gomez, Kanati, Van Dijk and Robertson. We're not sure how long Robert... I thought they were looking more solid midweek. Well, you're right, they did look more solid. So then, surely you could just build on it. Unfortunately, it's only one game, Daniel. Well, we could make it two games. Oh, that would be great, wouldn't it? God! That would disappoint you, wouldn't it? Post-birthday moodiness theory.

12:50It's not nice. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. Study. And play. Come together on a Windows 11 PC. And for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds.

13:28Get the Unreal College Deal. Everything you need to study and play with select Windows 11 PCs. Eligible students get a year of Microsoft 365 Premium and a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with a custom color Xbox wireless controller. Learn more at windows.com slash student offer. While supplies last, ends June 30th. Terms at aka.ms slash college PC. Meanwhile, Xavi Alonso is in trouble. Let's focus on Real Madrid against Alaves. Who would have thought this would be such a big game when the fixtures were announced at the start of the season? Because on Sunday, Real Madrid are away, and, of course, they're looking to try and put some sort of form together.

14:03Two wins in the last eight matches, of course, coming into this time at the back of that 2-1 defeat against Manchester City. You said there would be... You know, pick him up, because he's supposed to know a bit about Real Madrid. Yes. He knows absolutely nothing. Oh, well, there you go. He said at the end of the game, he said, you watch at the end of the game, whistle. I thought the hankings would be out. And the hankings would be going round. Everyone's gone soft. No, they were just sat there going, well, this is what we've come to expect. What's it like, boys? Have you been in a situation where you know a manager's job is on the line?

14:33You must have done so many times. Oh, yeah. Going into games like this. Almost every manager I've played on. Joe Venglos, Barnsley in the end. Jim Smith, Colin Todd. Do you think all that press that John Barnes had when he was at Celtic, all that negative press as players, you're obviously aware of it, but does it affect you on the pitch at all? Not really. And let's be honest, when you're playing at a big club like Celtic under that pressure, you're more worried about covering your own back. Really? Well, I mean, it's a scattergun approach they take when things are not going well. So the manager gets it and you get it as well.

15:09But, you know, the performance was much better, as you know, we discussed. didn't get the result but it's quite simple here maybe even a draw against Alaves could see the noose come down and definitely a defeat a hundred percent if they lose to this to this Deportivo Alaves side then he has gone there is no ifs I don't think no buts no maybes so this is huge for them I don't know if Mbappe is fit to play he wasn't the other night but they certainly looked a lot better, but then they look better against Athletic Club just three or four games ago, and a bit like Liverpool, we said, right, that's it.

15:49It's going to be the turnaround, and then they were horrible against Celta de Vigo. Completely back to square one. So, yeah, I mean, they should win, but that's what we said in the home game against Vigo. Yeah, they should be. I think everybody's prediction was three or four. Three or four. But you just could not trust this Real Madrid side at the moment. The thing is, weird question, Dan, you know, there will, there's probably going to be Well, let's be honest. I'm sure Vinny Jr. couldn't care less if he got the bullet or not. Right. But Vinny Jr. will probably play. And Vinny Jr., regardless of whether he doesn't like the manager or doesn't want him there, when the whistle goes, Vinny Jr.

16:28will want to do well because he wants to play well and be the guy and look good. And there will be maybe other players. But at the end of the day, when the whistle goes, the problems are still there, regardless of what you think of the manager. The reason they're struggling is because people are not doing their job properly. And so when the whistle blows, you don't think about the guy sitting on the bench. You're trying to do your job. Some of them will try and do it for them. Others won't even think about them and just try and do their best. But the fact is, they're struggling. And it's not just one, it's everybody.

17:06And so when they go on the field as players, you're just trying to do well. But unfortunately, when you're not playing well as a unit, when you're not playing as individuals, then things go wrong, whether you want them to or not. A bunch of suspensions at the back, a bunch of injuries at the back. Even players that are not available getting suspensions. And Carvajal running in. Carvajal, who seems to have sort of lost the plot as he's gone into his 30s with some of these decisions he's making. So you have all these injuries and suspensions on top of the issues that you already have. And I don't know, did you see the game against Man City, Stevie?

17:39I think one of the reasons that they were actually, they looked better than they have been. They tried really hard. But City were so open. Yes. It was a bonkers game. And I think we saw the reason why City will probably falter this year, both in Europe and in the Premier League, because they were horrendous defensively. I haven't seen Real Madrid create that many chances against anybody in La Liga. So I think that helped them. And I think these games like the Alaves game, the Celta Viga game, You know, there's been others, Elche and Vallecano. These teams have tried to play, but at times they've defended deeper.

18:12And when the game has been slowed down, we've seen Real Madrid really go into this pedestrian sort of pace. And they've never been able to pick it back up. Whereas the game against City started like a house on fire and it pretty much kept going like that. It was like two boxers just punching each other. And I think that suited them because there was space to go and play. Where they've struggled is when teams, particularly when they've been on the road, and teams have sat deep and have not been able to break these teams down and then they've been caught in the counter-attack. So we're going to find out if we'll get another one of these on Sunday.

18:44How do you handle... You mentioned Vinicius Jr. How do you handle him for a game that you have to win? You put on the face and you smile. What's that? Well, you can't show your hand. There's no question. What's that John Travolta, Nick Cage film? Is it face-off? Yeah. Well, you've got to be two-faced. Right. You've got to be two-faced. There's no question. If I'm Vinny Jr.'s coach and he's done to me what he's done, there's no question. What has he done to you? Well, he's made your job way harder than it should be. And he's disrespected you. Right. So you don't forget these things. But you can't show it.

19:27You've got to get the smiley face on and encourage him and kid on your his busy mate and all these things. But do players swallow that? Do they accept that? Well, it depends what kind of character you are. Yeah, some do, but I don't see Vinny doing that. Vinny's going to go, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then when he walks away, he's going to go, yeah. That's exactly what he's going to do. Vinicius Jr. suggested a few weeks ago that the players were not having Xabi Alonso. Basically, he did. And it's ironic that two of the biggest chances in that City game, the header and the volley at the back post, fell to a guy that could have built.

20:04I'm not suggesting they missed him on purpose, but he certainly didn't do a very good job of those finishes, particularly the header. And he was, you know, when you think about those chances, you're Chabby Alonso on the sideline, you go, this guy wants more minutes, he wants this, he wants that. I'm, you know, I'm under pressure and he can't put a header in from six yards. So, you know, I don't think, as Stevie said, professionally he'll be fine at the weekend and he'll get on with it, but clearly... It's so classic. He's been the one big instigator in there. It's so classic. Don't be a coward.

20:35If you're the one that really hates the manager, just come out and say, I can't be doing with a guy and the whole thing. Don't say, the players. Don't hide behind all that, the players. We've all tried all that nonsense. Alan, just be honest. Don't be a coward. Just stick your face in his face and tell him. What could possibly go wrong? Yeah. Alaves then against Real Madrid live on Sunday. Coverage starts at 2.30 Eastern on ESPN+.

21:04us. Our former, of course, in action on Saturday, Marcus O 'Rashford has seen the return of Rafinha, which has seen his minutes obviously diminish somewhat. This is what Hansi Flick had to say about the Englishman. What I can say, he's an absolute professional player. His attitude, his mentality is great. I think he has in the beginning has to adapt a little bit, but now he's on his best level.

21:37I speak with the players when they're not playing, so why? What he said to me last day was, they said in England, they said boss, he is Mr. But they said boss, you don't have to tell me this. it's only about the team we have to win three points nothing else is important so it's the right attitude and you see the mentality of him he's here and I'm really really happy that he's here

22:07When he made that move we could have predicted this would have kind of been his role wouldn't it? For Marcus Rashford at Barcelona not starting every game but contributing I think we could have predicted his attitude was going to be a lot better because he's got a club he's got a great opportunity that nobody really thought he was going to get. He certainly didn't deserve to get this opportunity, but you can take your chance, which he has done. I think he was always going to play an in-and-out role. I think when he has played, at times, he's looked really good and really lively. I mean, I think was it midweek he was the creator for Jules Koundy?

22:38Yeah, he set up a government against Houndary. So he's been pretty good at that. He's worked hard, but that's what you'd expect. And if I was at Man United, you know, if I was 10 Hager, these people at Man United, even the ones paying these wages, I mean, well, I know we're struggling, but you expect from him week in, week out. If we're being honest, he wasn't doing that. He wasn't doing it on the field, and he certainly wasn't doing it on the training field. But you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. If you go to Barcelona and your attitude's not good, you don't sense there's an opportunity there, there's no hope for you.

23:11And he's got a Royal Cup coming up. So he needs to, when he steps on the field, be absolutely ready to show Tuchel, never mind Barcelona, that he's still capable. Certainly more capable than what he showed at United. And so everything's fallen into place for him. I guess we have to give him some credit. You know, he has looked to Rashford of old. But it's disappointing when you think about the other side of Rashford when he was at United. But as I said, World Cup's coming up. He keeps producing what he's doing. Every time he gets a chance on the field with Barca, then he'll be shocked if he's not in the England squad.