Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken to Mohamed Salah about his frustrations in front of goal, but insisted “big talks” were not necessary.
The Egypt international has scored three times in nine matches this season, but has just one in the last six, compared to six in his first nine 12 months ago.
He does not look close so far to replicating the form that brought him 44 goals and a new Premier League record of 32 in a 38-game season.
It seemed in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the weekend that his desperation to return to the scintillating form which kicked in about a year ago was affecting his decision-making.
But Klopp said, ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Napoli: “The only thing that is obvious, and I only have to say that to Mo, is that it was absolutely clear that we would stand in a situation like this here and talk about it.
“Even Harry Kane. They talk about this and now he scored last week two goals, but before that, he was, ‘not even half he was last year’, that is what people were saying, stuff like that.
“For us, it is completely cool. If the player is not happy with it—that is clear. If you have a chance, you want to score.
“It is completely normal, all good. As long as we perform like we have, everything will be fine.
“With Mo [against Chelsea] first shot too close, second shot too far, so position-wise with the feet it is easy to explain.
“In these situations going through them there is no advice, you cannot give it, because the experience, they make themselves.
“They know, ‘I didn’t score, I didn’t score so next time I pass’, but it is about judging the situation again, ‘can I shoot? Yes. Score’.
“So there are not big talks necessary, just a completely normal situation it is absolutely easy to expect, because if you don’t score in your first seven games 10 goals, then everybody asks if you can do it again.
“Even Ian Rush didn’t score 40 goals in 10 seasons, season after season after season. That’s not how it works.
“You have to be a proper threat. As an offensive player you have to work hard. At the end of season it depends how much success we have as a team if it is successful or not.
“There is no personal success possible. All awards are for everyone. We do what we do best.”
Liverpool themselves have also failed to so far hit the high standards they set themselves last season on their way to a top-four finish and a place in the Champions League final.
They are lacking the explosive moments when they would blow teams away in a 10 or 20-minute spell.
That is also something which does not concern Klopp yet.
“They never happen because you want them to happen, they happen in a game,” he added.
“You do the things you have to do constantly. You do and do it good—I don’t have a better word—but then it is one moment probably clicking.
“We have scored so many goals in much more difficult situations than we this season didn’t score. That is all about performing.
“You cannot say we have to score three or four or five in whichever game it was, you have to take like it is at moments, and that is what consistency is about.
“As long as we create these moments and don’t create a fuss about it, these things will happen. Everything is fine, but, ‘now you have to’. It is not like that.
“There was one game when there was a lot of discussion—I think it was Tottenham—when Sadio should have passed, now Mo should have passed [at Chelsea].
“I told them, ‘no’, because last season they scored in exactly the same situations. Sadio got us three points at Burnley and Mo I don’t know how often in this situation, he scored goals.”
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