Egypt have been told they cannot rely on Mohamed Salah to guide the Pharaohs to the knockout stages of the World Cup. That is the message from the side’s coach Hector Cuper, who revealed he was optimistic the side’s star will play a part in Russia.
Since he injured his shoulder during Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, all the talk has centered on whether Salah would be fit enough to play in Egypt’s first World Cup since 1990. But for Cuper such talk gets in the way of the real issue; that the side should not depend on Salah for
glory, regardless of the 25-year-old’s fitness.
“We hope we won’t be affected, we try to be the same team, we can’t be dependent on one player,” Cuper said. “He’s important but if he’s not fit in time we will be ready with another player.
“This is football, these things can happen to any player. We could need to substitute him, but we hope that won’t be the case.”
Salah was included in Egypt’s final 23-man squad, with the team’s medical staff suggesting it will be touch and go for the player to be ready in time for their Group A game against Uruguay in Ekaterinburg on June 15.
“Salah is in a stage of recovery not just for treatment on his shoulder,” Cuper added. “We need to improve his demeanour and his fitness level because the injury has prevented him from training as a normal player.
“But we have very good news from our doctor, we hope he will be with us before Uruguay. We are optimists and we are waiting for him.”
The idea of not being dependant on one player, especially one who is a big fitness doubt, is obviously no bad idea. However, stats illustrate that when it comes to Egypt and Salah, that may be much harder to put in to practice than say.
During qualification the national hero had a hand in all seven of the Pharaohs’ goals — scoring five and setting up the other two. In Egypt the hero worship stems as much from his international displays —
especially his crucial brace against the Congo which secured qualification to Russia — as from his
sensational performances for
Liverpool last season.
Salah, who netted 44 goals in an incredible first season for the Reds after joining from AS Roma, was voted Player of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association last month, becoming the first African to win the prestigious award. That gong came on the back of a host of other awards, including the PFA Player of the Year and African Player of the Year.
Egypt told they cannot rely on Mohamed Salah in Russia
Egypt told they cannot rely on Mohamed Salah in Russia
- Cuper confident main man Salah will be fit to play at the tournament
- The coach, however, does not want The Pharaohs to assume Salah is the be-all and end-all of the side's campaign.
Man Utd financial results show profit increase after job cuts
- United generated an operating profit of $44m in the first six months of the fiscal year
- “We are now seeing the positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation materialize both in our costs and profitability,” Berrada said
LONDON: Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada highlighted the “positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation” after the club recorded a profit increase following their recent job cuts.
United generated an operating profit of £32.6 million ($44 million) in the first six months of the fiscal year, compared with a £3.9 million loss for the same period last year.
The operating profit for the most recent quarter, over the last three months, was £19.6 million, compared to £3.1 million in the same period last year.
Those numbers come after United minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, who heads the club’s football operation, oversaw a redundancy and restructuring program that saw around 450 jobs cut.
In announcing their latest figures on Wednesday, United said they had seen “the positive impact of operating cost and headcount reduction programs implemented in the prior year.”
United’s total revenues for the second quarter of the financial year were £190.3 million, down from £198.7 million for the equivalent period the previous year.
Commercial revenue dropped from £85.1 million to £78.5 million and match-day revenues down from £52 million to £49.5 million.
The fall in total revenues can be linked to United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League or Europa League last season, denying them the income from European matches this season.
But with United up to fourth place in the Premier League this term under interim boss Michael Carrick, and the women’s team through to the Champions League quarter-finals, the club believe they are well placed for a further rise in profits.
United say they remain on track to record revenues of between £640 million and £660 million for the full fiscal year.
“We are now seeing the positive financial impact of our off-pitch transformation materialize both in our costs and profitability,” Berrada said.
“Today’s results demonstrate the underlying strength of our business as we continue to push for the best football results possible for our men’s and women’s teams.”
