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Liverpool vs. Southampton: Opposition threat – 22/09/18

By Harry Tizard

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Liverpool line up prior to the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on September 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Liverpool line up prior to the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on September 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 11: Dusan Tadic of Southampton is challenged by Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary’s Stadium on February 11, 2018 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 11: Dusan Tadic of Southampton is challenged by Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary’s Stadium on February 11, 2018 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Mohamed Salah

Last on the list, but certainly not least, Mo Salah makes it onto the list of the top three opposition threats. On this list, I’ve attempted to chose the less obvious players that could cause the Saints problems not just their dangerous front three – but the Egyptian just could not be missed.

Coming in from Roma at the before the beginning of the 17/18 campaign – little was expected of the former Chelsea man, with the reported £34 million transfer fee even sounding a bit steep for a rather unknown talent that had already tried in the premiership, but could not find success.

It was not even Christmas before the Liverpool winger was breaking records – becoming the first Reds player to score twenty goals before Christmas since Ian Rush. His total goals for the 2017/18 premier league season totaled up to thirty two goals – an impressive number for a central striker, even more so for a winger.

Two of that tally came against Southampton – sharing his two goals over the two stadiums in two Liverpool wins.

Even though Salah has not been firing on all cylinders this season – he has still amassed two goals over the first five games.  His pace and close-control dribbling will be a large concern to our rather sluggish central defenders – meaning they will have to keep quite a deep line to stop him from running straight past with the ball or making forward runs without it.

Due to the lack of pressure we put on players when defending ourselves, it is entirely possible that Salah will find it rather simple to cut back onto his left and use our defenders as a block to hamper Alex McCarthy’s ability to see the ball, and curl it into the far corner – as seen from his goal last season with Fraser Forster in goal.

His ten assists last season (totaling him up to 42 league goal contributions last season) – also shows his unselfishness on the ball and eye to pick a pass to an onrushing teammate – meaning wherever he’s on the pitch, and if he does or does not have the ball – there’s always a chance he’s about to cause a problem.