It often happens that players do not do well in certain clubs and then explode when changing shirts. A good example of this was on the field during the classic in between Liverpool Y Chelsea for Matchday 27 of the Premier League
Mohamed Salah did not live one of his best matches in Liverpool vs. Chelsea, a game that took place at Anfield, but the top scorer, idol and star of Jürgen Klopp’s team, had an unremarkable season at Stamford Bridge.
“During practice, Salah was just like Messi. It’s a shame he stopped playing with him,” said Filipe Luis.hours left wing of Flamengo and teammate of Chelsea attacker during the 2014-15 season, in an interview with the newspaper Daily mail.
“I think everyone who has known Chelsea knows that it was very difficult for him to play at the time. There were players in the position who did really well at the club, they played. We even joked that it was Salah. The Messi of practice, because he did very well, but at the time of the game he didn’t seem to fit, ”said Oscar in an interview with ESPN.com in September.
But why shouldn’t someone who has trained so well get the chance to play often?
Salah only played 19 official games for ChelseaHe started ten, but only worked full-time twice. He played 881 minutes, an average of 46 minutes for every game he was on the field. He left the club with just two goals, against Arsenal and Stoke City, both in 2014.
“Salah is very fast, he rides the ball very fast with his feet and shoots well. It was aspects that caught our attention and made Mourinho want to bring him in because it could be important to the group. It was his first experience. in the group. a great team from Europe. He needed time to adjust and mature. As he matured, he got ahead, “said José Morais, José Mourinho’s assistant, in an interview with ESPN in May 2019.
Mourinho has even defended himself against those who accuse him of not taking advantage of Salah’s talent when they teamed up at Chelsea.
“This is another injustice that is being talked about. I did not sell Salah, I bought Salah. A child was lost physically unprepared, mentally unprepared, socially and culturally,” the coach said, also to ESPN, in April 2018.
It is true that competition was fierce at the time. Salah, then a 21-year-old boy who had just left Basel, Switzerland, fought for a position alongside Eden Hazard, Oscar, André Schürrle, Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and many other players with offensive characteristics who were with Chelsea.
The lack of opportunities prompted his departure. First for Fiorentina, where he scored nine goals in 36 games and caught the attention of the Roma, what did you pay 5 million euros for a one-year assignment. After that, he certainly got it from others 15 million euros, less than 16.2 million paid out by Chelsea months before.
Wrong certainly blossomed Roma, to score 34 goals in 83 games and being the target of the greed of the main clubs in Europe. The one who won the dispute was Liverpool, who paid 42 million euros to sign him in 2017.
Recruitment couldn’t be more successful. In almost four seasons ‘El Faraón’ scored 118 goals and led the team to the UEFA Champions League, Club World Cup and Premier League titles, the first after a 30-year fast.Incredible numbers and achievements for someone walking out the back door of Chelsea.
“I didn’t play. I didn’t get many chances, but you can see that when I did, I proved some people wrong. You can see the difference between today and a year or two ago. When I came out. from the Premier League, I said I would come back and when I got the chance, I came back, ” the forward told Sky Sports.
This was their twelfth meeting of Wrong against him Chelsea since he arrived LiverpoolUntil now, has three wins, three draws and five losses, with only two goals scored.