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Tactics Tuesday: Salah Masterclass & A Clear Message to FSG!
20 Plays26 days ago
The Reds are back in action with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Southampton. In this episode, we break down the game, discussing the shaky first half, the tactical tweaks that turned the game around, and the incredible performance of Mo Salah. We also react to Salah's comments after the match. Join us for a deep dive into the tactics and analysis of Liverpool's latest win.
You'll Never Walk Alone.
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Transcript
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Daily Global Podcast, brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network. I'm Adarsh Ramchand and it's Tactics Tuesday. The Reds return to action with a nail-biting, topsy-turvy free-to-win against the Saints on Sunday, with Magic Mo Salah at the double to take the Reds eight points clear at the top of the table.
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
In today's episode, we'll be discussing the shaky first style of the match, how slot in-game management tweaked the game in our favor, and the influence of Salah this season, plus a reaction to his comments made after the match. I'm joined today by Michael Lake. Michael, how's it going?
00:00:47
Michael
Yeah, it's all good. It's good to have you back from your from your holiday there Ash, missed you on the tactics Tuesday. um Yeah, no, I'm looking forward to talking about this. It was a bit of an interesting one. It really wasn't the best performance, but yeah, it's how they kind of drug does dragged us out of it.
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, as Michael mentioned, I'm back from holiday, had a little international break myself. So yeah, buzzing to get have the football back and obviously buzzing to be back on tactics Tuesday. um So Michael, without further ado, um obviously, you mentioned kind of it wasn't a vintage little performance, we didn't play our best football, but we got the result in the end, um that first hour of the match, we weren't very solid defensively, we weren't really in control of the game and obviously slots mantra is control. That first half, first hour of the game was a bit chaotic. What did you make of like the defensive setup of Lopel in that match?
00:01:37
Michael
ah Yeah, I mean it's it really wasn't the best performance from any anyone in the defense really like I think everyone was a little bit all over the place I think the the one thing is that like we were in control in the sense of we had a lot of possession all the way through the game and But like we weren't in control in sense of like you never felt comfortable on it. Or like we when, um say, Southampton got it, they were able to break quite easily. um And I think the the certain players kind of were losing their duels a bit too often. i mean Tyler Dibling was amazing for them on that right-hand side. And I think Robertson,
00:02:18
Michael
of Robertson recently really hasn't been um good enough and I think he did struggle a little bit I mean if you look at uh on like sofa score or foot mob or something they've given him quite a good quite a good rating so I don't know whether the statistically he's a little bit better but on the eye test he just seems to be slow not he seems like he's lost the pace and just lost like a second in his decision making um obviously he gave away the penalty um kind of glad they got books fairly early on like those sort of things were like weren't going for us and it just felt like they could just attack.
00:02:52
Michael
Onuachi was really good for them. um I mean he's massive but you can also run with it. So like I think he's like six foot eight which is insane.
00:02:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:59
Michael
And when you make Van Dyke look small, you know you're big. But he he was good. When they signed him initially, I thought he'd be really good, but he's never really done it for for us. I think him going off was ah actually a kind of a turning point. I was just into this. I think it was like 50th minute. um Once he went off and they only had one more like kind of substitution option left, that kind of gave like limited their choices. and ah gavevo like allowed us to kind of get more into the game.
00:03:30
Michael
um But I think, yeah, the defense was shaky. Kanate had a few scares. I think he could have given away one or more, like a few penalties.
00:03:41
Michael
like he Especially that one early in the game where he pushes, I think, his Armstrong in the back.
00:03:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:47
Michael
Like, that's just reckless. like on and On a different day with David Koop, maybe, he gets given as a penalty. but Not today. I'm guessing but yeah, it's it It hasn't been good.
00:03:59
Michael
But I think that's I think it's more down to individual performances really like I think just play as one on it on the day
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah i think yeah i was going to ask you actually because it i don't think it's more of a tactical sort of thing because i think in commentary i remember karrig has sort of mentioning like van dyke was running out with the ball conato made a few mistakes if if you're playing man city for example do you think those centerbacks are making those mistakes i don't really think so so And also there's so many different factors there's obviously coming back from international break the players not sort of in that rhythm of playing Premier League football the intensity Southampton I thought as well really provided a great atmosphere and I thought they made it quite difficult for us so yeah would you say it's more yeah like you mentioned more down to sort of individual mistakes and do you think these mistakes would even be present in matches against City for example on the weekend?
00:04:43
Michael
I mean you could you could definitely say that the players may be thought of Southampton as a bit of an easy mark like the 20th in the league they play a very sort of they play kind of higher than their position. um They play like ah like sort of a bright and mid-table team. If they had those sort of players, they would be flying because they are look they they do actually look good. And as Slott said in one ah in the post-match, he said like if on another day where they're getting all these chances and they're just missing them, um they would they probably would have got the points on like
00:05:17
Michael
when when they played us where they got like two chances and they scored both of them. Like if they could if they could start putting chances away over the whole season, they wouldn't be dead last. They'd be fairly high up. So I think like um we were we were unlucky that they decided to learn how to finish um and in against us. But it was ah down to our making. like we didn't We didn't look. um they like We made them look very good. And they were it was a more even game than it really should have been. ah it It needed Salah to kind of um pull his finger out. And I think the the fact that the goalkeeper was having such a stinker, and we didn't capitalise on it so many times,
00:05:56
Michael
Like he rolled the ball out for the first goal. Like why would you do that? He dropped the ball numerous times coming to catch it and we blazed it over the ball. I think Grabenburch hit it over the bar and he he obviously went Salah scored. He overran the ball massively and just left it gaping. um Like I think we just didn't kind of take advantage of what we were what how we should have been. So I think i think it is um is complacency and I think it is just like we've played a lot of games and we've been so good. um And Slott has said that like he doesn't want us to get get complacent and doesn't want us to kind of fall into a rhythm of eight points clear. we like were were We're good.
00:06:39
Michael
He wants us to keep taking every game. And that's the beauty of the Premier League, that 20th can give you such a better game than Aston Villa did.
00:06:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's right.
00:06:49
Michael
like yeah like it is it is interesting that like I think we may have had an eye on the Real Madrid and Man City games.
00:06:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and it's very hard to sort of blame the players because obviously it's easy to get up for him, it's easy to get up for Man City, those games speak for himself. It's actually harder to get up for Southampton away because you're kind of like, yeah, we can sort of roll over their bottom of the league. It's kind of that attitude which It's kind of unconscious.
00:07:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's like an unconscious bias that the players will probably have. It's not something that the players go into thinking that. It's kind of just the lay of the land or football, right? um However, i do i do i do mention I do agree with some of your comments that you made around Southampton gifting us those chances.
00:07:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we mentioned on the Monday review, like a lot of credit has to go to Southampton because I think
00:07:36
Michael
Mm hmm.
00:07:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Although they made those mistakes at the back, they do show like in glimpses that they are a quality football team, that maybe with better quality players, but maybe a bit more rhythm in the, in the season, they could, they could actually hurt and another couple of teams. Cause I thought you mentioned Onomatju was driving, he did that brilliant light piece of skill and then played it out to the wing. um Tyler Diblin has problems. They actually played some good football out from the back, apart from obviously that mistake. So maybe it's kind of a lot down to Southampton as well. What did you think? What do you think of their points?
00:08:06
Michael
Yeah, I mean, i well, when they were all of them behind the ball, we were just not able to break them down. And I think that is a testament to how they are defending. Obviously, a 5-4-1 does lend itself to being in very compact, very difficult to break down. um I think we've got to get better at that, and especially when As I said, the goalkeeper, this is a third string goalkeeper. um When he's in there, you've got to get at him more. Because there were a few times where, I mean, I think he kind of got the gist of don't play out if there's players around.
00:08:39
Michael
which I don't think he got at the start of the game because like he started just booting it and you could hear the fans cheering every time he did just to get get rid, get get it long.
00:08:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:08:49
Michael
um But as soon as like i like if Southampton strikers could finish at the start of the season, they would be flying. I think that like um Cameron Archer, very good player,
00:09:03
Michael
can't finish his dinner adam armstrong scored the penalty up well didn't score the penalty scored the rebound very lucky with that um like if he could score on a watch you he must have he hasn't played much this season i don't think i think they've played an armstrong and ah cameron two but like if i to watch you that if that injury isn't as bad as it looked like they were going to get a stretcher out at one point, wasn't it?
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Hmm.
00:09:26
Michael
When he when he went and sat down to waste a bit of time. um But yeah, I think like if those people, if those guys could start firing in Southampton would be great. But ah yeah, but they they were, their game plan was to kind of compact it.
00:09:42
Michael
get everyone behind the ball hit on the counter um and it did work obviously they score their second goal came from that counter attack there was there's a few well in the commentary they said that like when suspect is kind of going out to meet dibbling on the on the wing they're saying against city suspect is either taking the man or actually going in a harder but i think there's a little bit of like oh it's Southampton They're going to pass it out, but we're going to get it.
00:10:07
Michael
like They're going to misplace this pass. It's a bit of complacency. And so as of my overall, was I thought I had quite a good game. But that one thing where he just doesn't kind of even just give away a foul, because he's not last man, like just kind of like stop that counter-attack, which he would have done against Citi.
00:10:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:25
Michael
Because in your head, as soon as Citi's making that counter-attack, you're like, OK, crap, let's get them gone. but Let's stop this and reset. um I think that just letting that happen and they put it over to, I think it was Armstrong or someone on the far side and then bring it into Fernandez and then he scores. um That is just like, that that is all of our own doing as much as that's good from dibbling to turn, so as a buy and stuff. If so as a buy makes that first challenge, they're not scoring their second goal. And then it feels a lot easier from there. um but
00:10:57
Michael
It's one of those things that like, they're self-hampton approached the game well in some respects, but poorly in other respects, like didn't need to play out as much, especially if you've got a six foot eight striker, pink it up to them.
00:11:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:11:10
Michael
But that's how they play. And it's good on them for playing that way. And I think that's how like company got his job at buying. He played that way. He got poached. So maybe you could say Russell Martin's doing that, but also they're playing well.
00:11:24
Michael
Like they' they're playing well fundamentally.
00:11:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, it's probably from their point of view just just about getting the points of the board. But um in part two, we're going to talk more about the Liverpool point of view and how slot managers sort of change the game in Liverpool's favour tactically. But we'll cover all of that after this very short break.
00:12:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Amazing. So, um like I said before the break, we're going to talk about slots in game management. um Now, ah Michael, obviously, when we went to on down slot didn't really waste time. Brought on Lewis Diaz, Brought on McAllister, made those changes.
00:12:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Took off Gackpo and who was the other one he took off, Curtis Jones.
00:12:33
Michael
Curtis Jones here.
00:12:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So obviously, there's obviously two players that are usually in our starting in Evan and didn't really start because of the international break coming from South America. But how do you think those two sort of influenced the game and did you see a change tactically when Slop brought those two players on?
00:12:49
Michael
um Well, I think for firstly, the fact that Nunes stayed on the pitch longer, obviously Diaz is a different player to Nunes and like he's better on that left-hand side, but I think Nunes really wasn't as... like I thought Gackpo had more of an influence and I think he should have maybe, if you're picking one or the other to bring off, I probably would have lent towards Nunes, but obviously Slot thought differently.
00:13:13
Michael
ah ends up taking off Gackpo ends off taken up taking up Curtis Jones basically changes that whole left hand side um and I think that started working well I think ah diaz see Diaz plays a little bit more inside than Gackpo does Gackpo likes to hug the wing a bit more um especially if you look at sort of his average positions, he he sticks right onto the wing um and kind of controls that sort of space that so half space. While Diaz definitely loves to run inside and be more of a kind of central play, especially when Nunes went off, he had to be more more of that. um And with ah Jones, I think he's got a tendency when he is playing in that deeper position to kind of go really deep
00:13:58
Michael
um and then when McAllister came on obviously at one point he was kind of playing as like a two striker along when Endo came on but ah outside of that he was he likes to get forward a little bit more but also centrally I think that was where we were probably getting a little bit overrun because they obviously had three and then a two in those central areas um which were kind of overrunning our midfield especially when Flynn Downs came out um which Which I mean I would back off even our two three if you include so I was a buy against their five Well, it's not quite fair say five because obviously three center backs and involved in that but the fact that like
00:14:37
Michael
I think it was just getting in between those two lines. So there was the centre backs and the defence and then the midfield. They were so close that if you could get a player in that in that position that Sotheby was kind of getting a little bit of um little little bit of joy through joy through. Getting another player like McAllister into that position. Letting Graham Burch be ah more of a central six.
00:15:01
Michael
I think that did yeah actually change the game quite a lot, ah kind of overloaded the hardwood bellies, cow walker peters, well, cigar when he came on that sort of side, kind of overloaded them. And that kind up started to get a lot of joy from that. And then obviously we got fortunate with um the goal keeper overrunning the ball for the second goal.
00:15:22
Michael
for Salah's first goal. um And then obviously, Sagawa, I think that must have, must have been something like it bounced up off the floor too quickly or something like that.
00:15:32
Michael
Like he just kind of bats the ball back to his keeper by accident. um i I mean, I really like Sagawa. He was linked to those at one point to be all like back up, right back.
00:15:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:43
Michael
I think he would have been really good. He was great at ease at Alkma. To be fair, actually thinking about it, I wonder if he was there under slot. I don't know how long he was at. how comeant but maybe. um but like he Maybe he was doing his old boss a favour if he was actually at outcome at the same time, but um I think we got ah lucky to get out of the position that we put ourselves in. Obviously we spoke about the defensive frailties, but like the fact that we got that penalty and the goalkeeper having a stinker
00:16:15
Michael
I think those sort of tactical tweaks is why I'm i'm in love with Slott, like he's great. um But the fact that it is also as much as it's down to his tactical tweaks, it's down to Buck and it's down to the players kind of taking the game by scruff at the neck. If Salah doesn't turn up because he wants a new contract, we don't win that game.
00:16:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no that's that's very true. I think you make a really good point, actually, because um you mentioned Diaz and McAllister getting in those spaces between the defense and midfield. I think they they obviously were getting on the ball a lot more than Jones and Gackpo in sort of dangerous positions. It kind of also prompted more of Southampton to sort of focus on that side and left Mo Salah a lot more free. I thought he'd be on the ball a lot more in that second half. Driving out the defense, he put in some really dangerous crosses as well. So but one of them obviously leading to that penalty um from Sugara.
00:17:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But yeah, no, I definitely think, those like like you said, Michael, those tactical changes that slots capable of making in-game, they are very small tweaks, but they make a massive difference. And I think I read a stat just after the game that between Liverpool's second and third goal, I don't think Southampton touched the ball in there and the opposition half.
00:17:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that shows how dominant and how a key thing, again, for this season, momentum for Liverpool this season, as soon as we get second goals, as soon as we get back into a game, it's kind of all guns blazing. We go out for all for the for the the next goal, basically, um which I don't know if that's sort of a testament of ah slot or maybe it's just a characteristic of this team.
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But I want to.
00:17:39
Michael
We kind of suffocate suffocate teams, don't we? like where once Once you get one, it's just like endless pressure.
00:17:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:46
Michael
You're just pushing and pushing and pushing and then until they crack and then you've got your so you've got your next goal.
00:17:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and I was just about to ask like, do you think that's obviously part of part of it? It's kind of a Liverpool DNA sort of thing. We always sort of saw that, but there must be a lot of emphasis from slots. Say, look, look, we've already, we've had a poor first half, but that doesn't mean this is the end of the game. Like there's a lot of that in this season where we haven't played well in patches, but we can, we can absolutely blow teams away in shorts.
00:18:13
Michael
Yeah, I mean, Slott has a little bit of a track record forming of ah maybe so not maybe not the best. like He's never really that bad in the first half. like Even in the Southampton game, we still had a lot of possession. like We still controlled the game in the in the vast in broad strokes. But like not having the best first half and then second half, he either like talks to the players or he brings on subs or he tweaks on them tactically and we play much, much better.
00:18:41
Michael
um and we control games a lot more. um he's He's had a good track record with his subs. Obviously they didn't have like direct involvement in this game, but I think just that sort of changing personnel, changing mentality for the players coming on, changing how the players approach. like ah Diaz is more of a run at you quickly. So a player gack pose more of a get on the ball. Okay, I'll wait for players to get in position, then I'll quickly change pace and absolutely batter it top bins. But obviously, that doesn't always work. So changing that to a completely different style of player means that the player the opposition have to then change their mentality and they can't they haven't got into that routine. And it does just change um everything for them quite easily quite well.
00:19:31
Michael
quite And Liverpool, I think, yeah, the mentality monsters really do do show. um And I think that is, it's a leftover from Klopp, but I think a slop will never complain about having that sort of inbuilt sort of culture within the club, like a players like Salah who run till the end and Sosabai who runs till the end. There was one point where Sosabai was the only man pressing towards the end of the game. um And he was literally running and sprinting to every single person.
00:20:01
Michael
I think he did die afterwards because he wasn't running nearly as much but the fact that he was just willing to do that like I think any player who's willing to just kind of even when no one else is pressing still put the press on and still put the opposition under pressure I remember so ah Robertson doing it um against City and he right pressed every single player he could and that that kind of um gave him cold cult hero status
00:20:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:27
Michael
um But I think the i think slot is it probably does factor that in factor in the fact that when teams are tired, Liverpool can turn it up one more notch um or or even just keep it at the same level, just constantly and just wear teams down.
00:20:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, it's definitely a positive trait of this local team, obviously inbuilt from Klopp transition into the star era. And one of those key players that's been a part of both of those areas is obviously Mohamed Salah, ima and we're going to touch on his influence after this very short break.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fantastic. So um Michael, I've got some great stats to share about Mohammed Salah this season. He averages a goal or assist every 66 minutes this season, which is his best. um, percentage, um, conversion ratio this season, um, and is in his, in his tenure at Liverpool. He's also involved in, I think 67% of Liverpool's goals and assists this season. And he's won Liverpool 17 points. And without those 17 points, Liverpool would be 13th in the Premier League. So, I mean, it just shows what a massive influence he's having this season. I mean, he didn't really play his best on Sunday, gets a dodgy goal, wins, wins a penalty, converts a penalty. He does, he does.
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
incredible things to win us matches. What have you made of this season so far?
00:22:00
Michael
I mean, his season has been incredible. I think it's been one of his best in recent memory, like since his since those seasons where he's winning the Golden Boot ah every season and um was the main man in the whole league. like I think this is this is he is now back to that. um And the fact that he's five years older, six years older than when when he was doing those things is just a testament to how like insane that man is like physically and just mentally. um I think like after a celebration when he whipped his top off I was like he's not a 31 year old he' he's built like a 25 year old like he he could go for years he's a bit like Ronaldo in that sense of like physically he could do it for years and it doesn't seem like his mentality is dropping off at all. I mean he's in the top percentile for wingers
00:22:50
Michael
ah and like for wingers in per 90 for total shots, non penalty XG, expected assists. In every single attacking metric, he is the top um he's in the top percentile against not just Premier League wingers, but wingers in general.
00:23:10
Michael
in the whole world and like the fact that he's doing that and he's being he's being compared to the likes of Rafina who is like blowing up the the leaguer for Barcelona he's being compared to Cole Palmer he's like he's who is meant to be like the the golden boy like this is Salah at 31 and he is better than them
00:23:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:23:32
Michael
like obviously some Chelsea fans might come at me for that but realistically Cole Palmer's penalty merchant is very good but like he he needs to kind of he's got a few years until he gets anywhere near Salah's until he gets anywhere near set Lacey and Salah's boots but the the fundamental thing is that Salah is the best winger in the Premier League right now and one of the best ever And that is that is not it's not of an over exaggeration and that is something that like I don't understand how anyone can object to that.
00:24:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:24:10
Michael
like People compare him to Hazard. He is twice the player Hazard was. like there There is no comparison. he is like i he like The fact that he hasn't even had a sniff at a Ballon d'Or is like strange.
00:24:23
Michael
Absolutely strange.
00:24:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:25
Michael
like Who are these people who are voting for it? I think genuinely if he played for an Argentina or if he played for a Spain, he is winning about he's winning a Ballon d'Or if not multiple.
00:24:36
Michael
like he He is a player who is like incredible just because his international um sort of game is nowhere near as good as his club clip game.
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:46
Michael
And I think the fact that he also plays for Liverpool also also isn't going for him. like They don't really like Liverpool players for Ballon d'Or. The only reason Michael Owen won it was because he had Houlier as the manager who had lots of French connections. So like the the he what he is he deserves a Ballon d'Or. He deserved to be at least in the top three. And that like the fact that that hasn't really been a thing is mental to me.
00:25:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, I think as high as finishing the Ballon d'Or was fifth. And I was in, I think I was in the season. We mentioned earlier off, off, off air, where it was him and Manet getting basically that, that top five, um, spot in the Ballon d'Or.
00:25:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, I mean, yeah, like I said, it's criminal. He should be, he should be in that conversation. He must be in this, in that conversation after what he's done at least this season.
00:25:27
Michael
Yeah.
00:25:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, and if he continues, he's going to be cool.
00:25:32
Michael
I mean, yeah if it continues this way, if he continues the way he's scoring and insisting on how he's overall playing this season and we win the Premier League and we go deep in the in the Champions League, Venetius can throw his toys out the pram.
00:25:50
Michael
like they he is like There's no way Vanishes does those numbers. like he's Even last season, he's not touching Salah. It's one of Salah's worst seasons. Salah deserves to be in that shout. And if we win the Premier League, if, I'm not saying we have 11 games in, like we're not going to get carried away. But if the slot is carries on what he's doing, Salah carries on the numbers.
00:26:16
Michael
um obviously we want him to sign but he could win a Ballon d'Or this season he leaves Liverpool and that would just rub salt into the wound like that would be crazy
00:26:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:26:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah and speaking of um obviously the contract situation, I want to get your reaction on obviously what Salah said post match. He said that he feels more out than in at the moment at Liverpool. He's not had any contracts um talks with the club, that's what he said. um He said he's happy, he loves the fans, he loves the club, so obviously he wants to stay but has not had a deal proposed to him yet. Obviously that's worrying for a lot of Liverpool fans. we mentioned um You mentioned Michael, like he could have an incredible season, he could leave with a Ballon d'Or and also leave the club. like That is going to be heartbreaking for a lot of Liverpool fans. what What did you make of his comments after the match? Because obviously, in my opinion, it's like a call. It's a call that he wants to stay.
00:27:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is a player that wants to play for this club, like no matter his age. he He's like fine wine. He's going to get better with age. He's going to continue with this output, I feel. So why not offer him the contract?
00:27:17
Michael
Yeah, i think i I think there's a there's a few things. like the the It's a bit is interesting that he's having that sort of interview straight like as players are getting on the bus. You don't normally see that. Obviously, I think it's a little bit of a almost a tactical decision by him, maybe, to kind of call out the club and get that fan pressure. Because, he like as you said, he really wants to stay, and we want him to stay. So I think i think the ah the reasons why maybe FSG or um Michael Edwards aren't wanting to, well mother they probably are wanting to, why they're not so openly offering those sort of deals is because there's one, there's three players who are all at the same level, very similar like sort of um but very similar to each other in terms of their importance to Liverpool, who all need their contracts renewing, who all will want to be the big dog, like who all who all three of them want to be the player,
00:28:17
Michael
um Obviously, all three of them cannot be. We already kind of broke our wage structure by giving him this £350,000 a week contract, um which say seems low compared to other clubs, but that is how we work. We work sustainably. We work as a club that doesn't kind of value one player over the club.
00:28:40
Michael
um i think they I think all three players understand that. And I think they are all smart. We we said this off air. They are all very, very intelligent men. And the people who will be working for them are going to be intelligent. um And they're goingnna want they're going to understand that if they get an offer, if Salah gets an offer from Saudi, if Salah gets an offer from Barcelona, let's say, um ah they might not have the money. But like if they get an offer of £400,000 a week,
00:29:10
Michael
£450,000 a week. And he turns around to Liverpool being like, I want to stay here. I've been quoted as saying my daughter I feel like my daughter is now from Liverpool. My daughter is a scouser. Like I want to stay here for the rest of my career. Like, I've been offered this money.
00:29:26
Michael
I could maybe go down a little bit, but I want a little bit more. I want a bit a little bit more insurance. Maybe he wants a bit longer on his contract. He wants three years as opposed to two. I don't know. But like he if he wants those sort of things, they're going to want to leverage it and they're going to want to do it in in the best way they can. In January 1st, he's going to get offers from abroad. Like I don't think any of them will make a decision until the end of the season. None of them will be like, okay, I'm going now.
00:29:52
Michael
um just to give that time for the club. But I think the fact that like we kind of say were starting to safeguard it a little bit with getting Kiesa in to talk about Ray and Shirky is also talk about that.
00:30:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:07
Michael
Harvey Elliott can play on that right hand side, obviously all of them are drop-offs. But the fact that we're starting to think about safeguarding, we're doing it in other positions like Mamadash Billy for Alison, those sort of things. I think the club are starting to kind of, they've kind of sit gone to themselves that like we don't want to lose them, but if it doesn't make sense for us.
00:30:29
Michael
we're not going to be held over a barrel. and i like Part of me is happy that the club's like that because i want I want us to be sustainable. I want us to be like, this club means everything. But the fact that Stella is emphasizing that this club does mean everything to him, he loves the fans, he loves the club he wants to stay, um makes me feel like there there has to be an agreement. like Surely you can find a middle ground. If he wants it that much, you obviously want it that much, so fans want it that much. too there is surely a middle ground.
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
This
00:31:02
Michael
And I think the the fact that, like you said, there's no talks, I don't know how true that'll be, maybe not with him directly, but surely with his aging or something.
00:31:11
Michael
like I think there probably have been talks, but they they probably won't be as like advanced as maybe they they need to be. I know you said that you you think all three of them are gonna sign on the same day and they're gonna announce them all at the same time, but yeah, I don ah don't know about that.
00:31:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Yeah, no, for those that are wondering, I said that Liverpool, and my prediction is Liverpool announced all three have signed contract extensions on Christmas Day as a big Christmas present. fan So that's my that's my dream for this Christmas. But um no, I think it's funny that you mentioned that was obviously tactics Tuesday, and we mentioned Salah playing a bit maybe a bit of a tactical game trying to get
00:31:44
Michael
Hmm.
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
You mentioned he's going to get quotes from other clubs from abroad. if If people are going to offer him that money, he's going to use that as leverage basically. So um yeah, it's all it's all speculation. It's all crazy. um But I'd really yeah like all Liverpool fans. We just hope that he signs that new deal. Because like we mentioned at the beginning of this section of the podcast, he is so important to Liverpool. Not just this season, but he's a Liverpool legend. So let's just hope that he does sign.
00:32:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But that's all for today. Join us tomorrow for Wildcard Wednesday where the Daily Leopold team will be previewing Champions of the Action as the European champions Real Madrid come to town ahead of a mouth-routing blockbuster clash at Anfield. From all of us at Daily Leopold it's goodbye for now and we will see you all soon.