Premier League | Salah’s selfishness becoming a problem for Liverpool: Michael Owen

 

Liverpool legend Michael Owen has lashed out at Mohamed Salah for being ‘too selfish’ in recent times, which has eventually led to a dry run for the Reds in the Premier League.

Owen wasn’t happy with Salah’s performance in the recent match against Manchester United, which ended in a goalless draw.

Salah has been missing his shooting boots for four gameweeks now and needs to turn up his best as soon as possible.

‘There is a lot of selfishness creeping in, I’ve seen that again,’ Owen told Premier League Productions.

‘Mo Salah is not passing enough of the ball again. He’s never passed it much, but there are extremes. The last sort of few games I’m thinking: “Come on.”‘

The Egyptian forward is yet to net a goal since scoring a brace after coming off the bench in Liverpool’s 7-0 win against Crystal Palace before Christmas.

Although he has always been criticized for being a little self-centered, Salah’s overall record — 111 goals in 177 appearances for Liverpool — suggests that he is hardly doing anything wrong. But he has left his teammates frustrated on a lot of occasions owing to his hesitation in passing the ball in the final third.

“I think we all know with Mo, he is always chasing that Golden Boot, he is always wanting to score,” former Reds frontman Emile Heskey told Sky Sports.

“There are times as an unselfish striker where you’re looking at him and saying ‘why didn’t you pass that ball?’ But this is what you get from top goalscorers, from people that are going to score you 20-25 goals a season.

“They have this relentless drive where they want to take every opportunity, they want to score every chance. They want to take goals off you and you don’t want to take that relentless streak away from them because that’s what makes them.

“That’s what has made him into the winger and the goalscorer that he is. I think he has to keep going and doing what he’s doing.”

Liverpool currently find themselves placed at the fourth spot in the Premier League table behind Manchester United, Manchester City and Leicester City. The difference in points is not major, though, with only three points separating them from the Red Devils sitting at the top of the table. But they need to get their act together soon, if they want to retain their Premier League title.