Andy Gray has suggested that Mo Salah’s reputation as a diver could cost Liverpool the title.
The Egyptian star has been accused of simulation multiple times this season, with the latest debate coming over an incident in the 4-3 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, as reported by Sky Sports.
As quoted in the Daily Star, beIN Sports pundit Gray said: “I’ve said before that Mo Salah has got to be careful. He’s too good a player to have the reputation as a diver.
“But there’s no doubt in my mind that if he continues to go to the ground as easily as he does in the penalty area, referees will stop giving him penalties when he might have deserved a penalty.
“It might be in the biggest game that they play.
“It might be a semi-final of the Champions League, it might be a league-decider in a big match at the end of the season when they deserve a penalty because he’s been fouled and the referee goes ‘I’m not sure, I’m not giving it’. That’s what I don’t want to happen.”
OPINION
This seems a bit strong from Gray. Yes, Salah has gone to ground too easily on occasion this season, and yes, it could tarnish his reputation in the eyes of the refereeing community, but to suggest that it could cost Liverpool the title is taking things just a bit too far. There’s an argument to be made anyway that Salah has harshly picked up this newfound reputation as a diver. There has been the odd occasion where he has looked to have attempted simulation, but in the match against Brighton, for instance, where he was actually fouled and a penalty was awarded, the media still chose to portray it as a matter of debate to propagate the narrative. Salah is arguably the best player in the Premier League at the moment, and he does need to cut the diving out of his game, purely because he doesn’t need to do it, but what he brings to the side far outweighs the occasional negative, and if Liverpool are challenging for a title at all, he has a lot to be thanked for.
