Liverpool got the reaction they wanted from Mohamed Salah in their win against Tottenham. My only disappointment is that his performance was a few weeks too slow.
I'm not saying Salah isn't at his best because of attitude issues, but because I think it's physical issues that have held Salah back in recent weeks.
But sometimes a brawl is just as good as rest when it comes to rejuvenating a player, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a performance like the one we saw against Spurs following last week's touchline scuffle with Jurgen Klopp .
I've seen similar things happen to other players many times in my career, and I've learned to respond to such criticism in the right way, no matter when or from whomever it comes from. The ability to react was very important to me personally.
- author, Danny Murphy
- role, MOTD2 critic, former Liverpool midfielder
A great example of this was my second start for Liverpool, against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 1998. Karl-Heinz Riedl was injured on the day of the match, so I came on as a substitute and played behind Michael Own. A kind of number 10 role.
I had just turned 21 so I was very nervous. I had a bad touch on the first few balls, lost the ball, and was completely defeated by my captain, Paul Ince.
In my head, the natural reaction was to say, “I'll show you.” After playing much of the game himself up front due to Owen being sent off, he was man of the match in a 1-1 draw.
“A player who tries to prove people wrong.”
Of course, Salah is a superstar, not just a young player who just joined the team. Of course I wouldn't put myself in the same category as him, but what I'm saying is that I think every player has the right to make choices when criticized.
As Klopp was preparing to play against West Ham last week, it looked as if he had taken a dig at Salah, but when he then hit back, the media and even supporters jumped in to comment on the player's form. There were hardly any. mistaken.
The best way, really the only way, to react to something like this is to think, “I'll show you in the next game.” Salah certainly did that.
He looked sharp from the start against the Spurs, hit the crate a few times and even scored a goal, although not everything went well. He may not have even been able to head the ball the way he wanted when it was 1-0, but he was always a thorn in Tottenham's side.
As I said at the beginning, it's a real shame it didn't arrive in time to save Liverpool's title challenge. Because they're not going to win the league from here.
Still, the good thing for Liverpool fans looking ahead to next season and life without Klopp is that Salah looked like a player who is going to do everything he can to prove people wrong.
If he had been miserable and unhappy and looking for a way out of the club, we wouldn't have seen such a reaction.
Will Salah stay or go?
Salah turns 32 in June and has only one year left on his contract, so there has been a lot of speculation about his future, especially after the events of last week.
In an ideal world, he wouldn't leave. His reliability in front of goal is clear and he would bring in a big transfer fee, but finding a player to replace him and guarantee the same numbers is next to impossible. Dew.
I really hope he stays because he has that rare and wonderful trait of scoring goals even when he's not playing that well. But in reality, that may not be the case. He may want a new challenge that is best for him and his family.
And as great as Salah is, I still think the new manager's priority is securing Virgil van Dijk's future.
Like Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also out of contract in the summer of 2025. I think it's okay to sign Trent because he's a local lad who loves Liverpool, but it's much harder to predict Van Dijk's next move.
Clubs are always bigger than any individual and new players come and go all the time, but Van Dijk's presence and ability means he is a player who will be missed more than most.
Why Van Dijk staying is key
If you look at Liverpool's season as a whole, understandably there will be a certain amount of disappointment with how things have turned out.
However, there are also more positives than expected, as they won the trophy, the Carabao Cup, and regained a spot in the Champions League. This was not a given after the previous season. And we can get even more from this team.
Whether you're the new manager or a fan who watched Sunday's game, you'll be very excited to see the performances of players such as Jarrell Quansah, Kodi Gakpo, Harvey Elliott, and Stefan Bicetic's return from a lengthy injury. We were able to. He looks very comfortable on the ball.
Any incoming manager would be really excited about the prospect of working with such young talent, but the balance of what they need around them on the pitch is epitomized by what Van Dijk brings to the team. ing.
He is a cool and level-headed leader who is also extremely durable. His only long-term absence since joining Liverpool in January 2018 was a cruciate ligament injury suffered in a tackle by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. It's not Van Dijk's fault at all.
So many players benefited from Van Dijk's presence at Anfield during his time at Anfield, and that effect will continue for as long as he remains there.
That's why he's more important than Salah and why a new contract is so important. Once that's done, it gives the other players a great foundation because we know he's going to guide and improve the players coming in.
Danny Murphy was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
