Mark Lawrenson compared Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah and Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo by rating every individual aspect of their game ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final.
The BBC pundit ended up with his final score favouring the Madrid superstar with Salah’s score dramatically let down by Lawrenson’s assessment of his heading ability.
The retired Reds defender handed Ronaldo perfect remarks for his skills while in the air and claimed that Salah could develop in that area.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is as good as any centre forward in the world in the air because he has this prodigious leap and his timing is fantastic, his neck muscles are also really strong, you wouldn’t put Salah anywhere near him,” wrote Lawrenson for the Daily Express.
“In the air Salah could develop, I don’t see it being a problem though.
“When you look at his goals, it’s always with the ball at his feet, his feet are so quick and he moves so well, I don’t envisage sitting here at the end of next season and he has scored 10 with his head, in would be surprised if he gets two.
“Ronaldo 5 (out of 5), Salah 2”
OPINION
While Lawrenson states it isn’t a problem for Salah to lack an aerial threat, it’s still insane that any aspect of the winger’s game can be handed a two. However it’s understandable that the Reds’ 5ft 7in tall (according to Transfermarkt) winger has trouble leaping regularly above the colossus Premier League defenders that roam the league. In fact the winger would have to find a way to defy science by being able to consistently leap above his giant opposition. It’s a shame really that heading was one of the pundit’s marking criteria, as based on the rest of his scoring, Lawrenson would have rated Salah higher than Ronaldo in the end. The Anfield legend cruelly handed the Madrid superstar a two for teamwork as he implied that that Ronaldo doesn’t work for his teammates. It’s hard to argue that the 33-year-old Portugal international hasn’t earned the right to be let off defensive duties at this point, as he continues to score goals at a frightening rate. While Jurgen Klopp has Salah well drilled, the 25-year-old isn’t the only attacker capable of being a game changer for the Reds.
