Jurgen Klopp explains why Mo Salah makes such a difference to Liverpool

Posted Tuesday, November 21, 2017 by givemesport.com

Mo Salah has been in electrifying form since his £37m move to Liverpool from Roma.

The Egyptian has 14 goals in 18 matches, as well as four assists, and has rapidly become Liverpool's star man while Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho have been suffering with injury.

Salah is doing an awful lot to prove that his disappointing spell at Chelsea was nothing more than a blip, and has been worth every penny of his club-record move, until the Reds moved for Naby Keita in August.

Liverpool's number 11 has scored a brace in his last two Premier League matches, first as the Merseysiders comfortably saw off West Ham 4-1, and followed it up in their 3-0 victory against Southampton.

He also scored the winning penalty as Egypt qualified for their first World Cup since 1990, almost becoming a poster boy for his country in the process.

With his frightening pace and his clear finishing ability, it's not hard to see why Salah has fitted in seamlessly to Jurgen Klopp's tactics.

And in an interview with the Telegraph, per Empire of the Kop, the German revealed why he thinks he has made such a difference to the Reds' attack.

Klopp says that while he is making headlines for his red hot form, he believes he would make just as much of an impact even without finding the net, as he is able to stretch the opposition's defence to make space for the other forwards.

"If you see Roberto [Firmino] working unbelievably hard, he's not scoring in the moment. Sadio doesn't score in the moment. But they work and they will have their moments and then we will talk about them," he started.

"There's the guys on the bench who will have their moments. This is the Mo Salah period - no problem with that; well deserved.

"But he's also very important even when he's not scoring because he stretches the formation. The speed of the boys means the last line drops - there can be no other reaction. And then we have the space [to play].

"The speed players aren't only for counter-attacking. Sometimes that's not possible. It's about stretching formation and creating space for the rest.”

Salah's influence has sent Liverpool on a surge up the Premier League table, moving to fifth, and just four points behind Manchester United in second place.

The Reds are also top of their Champions League group, having won two and drawn two of their four matches.