sport news Mohamed Salah's performance and crowd reaction show he CAN be part of ... trends now
The most significant moment of Liverpool's exciting 4-2 victory against Tottenham occurred ten minutes before kick off.
'And wearing number 11…Mo Salah,' read the stadium announcer going through Jurgen Klopp's line-up.
Given events of the previous weekend at West Ham when the star player had confronted the manager, nobody was sure of the crowd reaction given their undying love and appreciation of Klopp.
The reaction was a huge guttural roar from The Kop that not only greeted Salah's return to the starting XI but also indicated support for the idea that the Egyptian King should stay post-Klopp and ensure a smoother transition than happened at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Fergie comparison is apt. His own farewell in 2013 was marked with a spectacular falling-out with his superstar, Wayne Rooney, that overshadowed the final trophy lift when the men barely acknowledged each other.
There was huge roar from The Kop when Mo Salah's name was read by the stadium announcer
Salah's warm reception came a week after he was involved in a spat with Jurgen Klopp (right)
United supporters were torn between loyalty to their great manager and belief that Rooney had to be part of the future despite having handed in a transfer request to spark interest from Chelsea.
It was Ferguson's belief Rooney should go, that his best was behind him rather than ahead. The club ultimately disagreed, gave the striker a bumper new five-year contract rather than use the new blood Fergie had bequeathed them including Wilfried Zaha.
Though Rooney stayed at Old Trafford long enough to become the club's record scorer, they never came close to winning the Premier League or Champions League with him as captain and talisman.
And so to Salah. Do Liverpool try and rake in a fee from Saudi Arabia with 31-year-old Salah having just a year left on his contract. Or do they try and re-sign the winger in the belief he can have a similar impact until 2028 that he's had dating back to 2016.
Whether Klopp's advice would be sought is fascinating. United ignored Ferguson and arguably paid the price.
Will Salah be prepared to play 70% of future games under Arne Slot rather than the 100% he's been accustomed to. It's hard for players of that status to adapt. Steven Gerrard left when asked to step back by Brendan
