LONDON: Jurgen Klopp insists Mohamed Salah won’t lose focus despite the increased demands on the Liverpool star at the climax of his record-breaking season.
Reds boss Klopp is frustrated that Salah had to fly to London to receive the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award on Thursday, just hours after being presented with Liverpool’s own Player of the Year prize.
Salah, who is also the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year, has not managed to add to his 43 goals this season in the last three matches and looked tired in Liverpool’s defeat at Chelsea on Sunday.
Liverpool need a point against Brighton on Sunday to seal the Premier League top four finish that guarantees entry into next season’s Champions League before turning their attention to the European Cup final against Real Madrid.
Salah is clearly the key to Liverpool’s success in those two crucial matches after scoring 43 goals in an astonishing first season following his move from Roma.
While Klopp admits Salah could have done without the additional non-football workload, he expects the Egypt winger to cope with the stress.
“It is quite difficult for a player because there are some many challenges constantly,” Klopp said on Friday.
“Yesterday we had our LFC Awards — good timing. The next challenge was the journalists (the FWA dinner).
“I know it was a very important award but to bring the boy again, on a Thursday night before the last game, to London to celebrate a party when we are not partying.
“It is not perfect and as a manager I would prefer he went home after work and put his legs up on the sofa watching a movie or going early to bed but he was early to bed, we organized it as good as possible.
“Problems are always problems if you are surprised and you think ‘Oh, I had no clue about that’.
“But it is perfectly planned always and the club is doing a world-class job in organizing everything so it is as smooth as possible.”
Klopp has tried to keep his players’ concentrated on the Brighton clash, but he acknowledged the awards season has become something of a distraction.
“You want to be really focused. The season now for most of the teams in the league is a nice time but for us it is work,” he said.
Mohamed Salah can cope with hectic schedule, says Jurgen Klopp
Mohamed Salah can cope with hectic schedule, says Jurgen Klopp
- Egyptian took a private jet to collect an award
- 'I would prefer he went home after work and put his legs up on the sofa'
Shayan Jahangir and Jordan Cox ensure Dubai Capitals a play-off spot
- The defending champions become the third team after Desert Vipers and MI Emirates to make the playoffs of DP World ILT20 Season 4
DUBAI: Shayan Jahangir and Jordan Cox registered fifties to help defending champions Dubai Capitals sail into the play-offs with a strong six-wicket win over Sharjah Warriorz on Christmas Eve at the Dubai International Stadium.
Jahangir was also resourceful behind the stumps, getting dangerman Tom Kohler-Cadmore out in an impressive all-round performance.
Chasing 135, Dubai Capitals made light work of the target with an early blitz by Jahangir and an unbeaten Cox, who set the Dubai International Stadium ablaze scoring 61 off 50 balls with six fours and one six. His effort also fetched him the green belt, putting him on top of the highest scorers list in the tournament so far.
Jahangir and Cox set up a partnership of 76 runs off 63 balls after they lost opening batter Sediqullah Atal with just 17 on board. It was Harmeet Singh who bowled him out, but it took the Warriorz a lifetime to find another breakthrough. However, Sikandar Raza’s over made up for the long wicket-less spells as he picked up two crucial back-to-back wickets — that of half-centurion Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi in the 14th over. Jahangir was caught at long-on by Kohler-Cadmore while Nabi (4 off 4) holed out to deep square leg.
Taskin Ahmed packed off Leus Du Plooy (5 off 6) in the 17th over, but the Capitals were already racing towards victory at this point. Jordon Cox became the cynosure of the chase, breaking no sweat to make the target in five balls to spare.
The Dubai Capitals’ bowlers had also done exceedingly well, restricting the Warriorz total to a paltry 134/8 with Haider Ali and Waqar Salamkheil picking up two wickets each. Ali was extremely economical too, giving away just 13 runs in four overs. David Willey, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi bagged a wicket each, contributing to the Capitals’ third successive victory that has landed them in the play-offs.
Asked to bat first, Sharjah Warriorz had an uneventful outing at the crease. Just as the opening batters were settling in, the Warriorz received an early jolt when Monank Patel (24 off 13) was run out by a quick-thinking David Willey. A mix up in the middle, Patel was sent back by Charles (43 off 46) with Willey at arm’s length from the bails. Losing a wicket in the fifth over with just 34 runs on board was a setback and it did not help the Warriorz cause when Haider Ali bowled Tom Abell (9 off 10 balls).
Kohler-Cadmore (3 off 4) followed suit. He was stumped by Shayan Jahangir while attempting to go big off Haider Ali but he was nowhere close to the ball and Jahangir was bang-on.
With just 65/3 on board in 10 overs, the Warriorz needed a solid partnership that could keep them afloat on a slow track at the Ring of Fire. There was still some hope with opener Johnson Charles piloting the innings and power hitter Sikandar Raza joining him after Kohler-Cadmore’s dismissal. Raza was also gifted a new lease of life when Jahangir dropped a simple catch off Haider Ali’s ball. Unfortunately, Raza (8 off 11) could not muster much from this opportunity as he lost his wicket, in a caught-and-bowled effort by Mustafizur Rahman.
Charles followed a couple of overs after, when he was attempting to pull towards the long-on boundary, but Willey took a fine low catch ending Charles’ batting prowess with two boundaries and two sixes.
From here on, the Warriorz were on a spiral, losing almost four wickets in the death overs but for the 24 runs coming off the final two overs. Adil Rashid and Harmeet Singh scored a quick 14 runs each. Tim Southee (5 off 2) contributed towards the Warriorz’ total to a chasable 134/8 in 20 overs.
Player of the match Cox said: “It was quite tough against spin, but when the seamers came on, we tried to put them under pressure. Jahangir was very impressive. We’ve been encouraging him to be aggressive, and it was great to watch from the other end. For me, it was about not leaving it to the next man.”
Sharjah Warriorz captain Southee commented: “We had to keep taking wickets to be in with a chance. The nature of the wickets is keeping sides in it for long. Not over for us. One game left, we win that and give ourselves a chance.”
