Mohamed Salah may have to trade his role for a brilliant teammate

Mohamed Salah may have to change roles at Liverpool. That’s to accommodate a brilliant teammate who can’t stop scoring.

For the past three years, Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s top scorer. It is one in which he has also excelled.

Salah’s debut season saw him score 44 goals, including a record 32 Premier League matches. He followed up with a second Golden Boot and scored 27 in all competitions.

The third season featured 19 goals in the Premier League, 23 in all competitions.

More than just goals, however, Salah’s role has helped Liverpool reach their most successful period since the 1980s. So those £ 34 million was a complete bargain.

And yet, in his fourth season at the club, despite such incredible success, Salah may need to change roles.

Shining

Nobody saw Diogo Jota being that good. He’s come in and has already scored nine goals, including eight in his last eight games.

Liverpool have overcome that wave in an injury crisis, obtaining good results thanks to the form of Jota. The most recent was a point in Brighton after its excellent opening.

And they may have to continue on that line. After all, Liverpool cannot rely on last season’s plan, as injuries stole it. Instead, Jurgen Klopp has to go with what works.

If Liverpool want the title again, they also can’t afford to wait to try new things. Jota is scoring, so Jota is the main scorer.

That will likely come at the expense of Salah’s goals as well. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Egyptian is showing fantastic ability to create this season and he should really change his role.

Salah averages 2.4 key passes (chances created) per game in the Premier League. That’s by far the best in Liverpool – Sadio Mane is next highest at 1.7.

In fact, that’s enough for the top 10 in the Premier League. That may not sound extraordinary, but Salah also has eight goals – he’s creating plenty of chances while still being the top scorer.

No one else who creates so many chances is also the top scorer. Only Bruno Fernandes comes close to eight goals, in fact (6) – everyone else has half of Salah’s tally at most.

Tellingly, Saturday was Salah’s first assist of the season. He suggests that while he’s creating chances, his role as the top scorer means the team isn’t set up in the same way for others to score goals.

But if Liverpool were focused on channeling their efforts through Jota in form, Salah’s incredible creativity could become a devastating weapon.

Freelance soccer writer lucky enough to write about his greatest passion. Born one year after Liverpool’s 18th League title and always believing that the wait will end this year.