A number of Liverpool fans have blasted “curmudgeon” Steve Nicol after the former Reds player took aim at Mohamed Salah’s performances this season.
Speaking to ESPN [via Anfield Watch], the 58-year-old believes that the Egyptian only plays in Liverpool’s team because of their largely consistent winning form in recent months, saying: “Winning is the deodorant of the game, it covers all bad smells. Winning covers a lot of bad things.”
He continued: “You can say it with Salah. Salah’s form this season, is there a guy that frustrates you more in the Premier League or anywhere else with the things he does in a game? Then all of a sudden he will produce something. So you could say the same about him as well. But again, he plays every game and why? Because they win”. His comments were later posted by @AnfieldWatch on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/AnfieldWatch/status/1239446300418027520
Salah has faced criticism from some Liverpool fans at times this season, coming under fire in the early weeks of the campaign and being blasted for his display in the recent 3-0 loss at Watford. However, he is still the Reds’ top scorer with 20 goals in the current campaign, 16 of which have come in the Premier League, and he has also chipped in with nine assists. His strikes in recent wins over West Ham and Bournemouth proved crucial as the Reds won both games by a single goal (as per TransferMarkt).
This is the third season in a row in which the 27-year-old has hit the 20-goal mark for Liverpool, having struck 27 times last term and scoring a mammoth 44 goals in his debut campaign with the Reds two years ago (as per TransferMarkt). These Liverpool fans on Twitter were not pleased with Nicol’s criticism of the forward:
Shut up Steve Nicol!!!
— Paul Hollingsworth (@pauldaddypaul) March 16, 2020
— Keeperlit (@cish_n_fhips) March 16, 2020
I don’t agree with Nicol,thanks!
— RedsAllez0 (@RAllez0) March 16, 2020
Steve Nicol was such a great player. He has turned into a curmudgeon. Not pretty.
— Tim Ellis (@Timotei365) March 16, 2020
This guy just never gives it a rest
— Jax (@NDL_08) March 16, 2020
16 goals and 6 assists in the prem is bad apparently
— 2MWavyy20?? (@2Wavyy20) March 16, 2020
Liverpool fans, is Nicol right about Salah or has he gone over the top with his condemnation of the Egyptian? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
