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Mohamed Salah has only known one Liverpool manager since he joined the club in 2017. Jurgen Klopp’s January announcement that he will leave at the end of the season made many question whether Salah would join him through the exit door.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, the Egyptian winger was asked if Klopp’s departure will impact what happens regarding his future this summer, and his answer was clear.
“No,” he said. “It’s part of life now, that everything moves. Players have left already, very important players. The manager is also very important for the club and is leaving.
“One day I will leave the club, but no [Klopp leaving doesn’t affect my future].”
To say Salah was stunned at Klopp’s shock announcement on January 26 is an understatement.
In fact, he believed the bizarre 10.30am meeting that day was going to see the German manager announce a new contract with the Merseyside club.
“Usually we don’t do meetings at 10.30am, as 10.30 is the report time,” Salah added. “It’s normally a 10.30 meet time and then 12 noon training. Then they said there was a meeting at 10.30am. I was like: ‘What?’
“The manager’s agent was there at the training ground and I thought: ‘Oh, he’s renewing his contract’.
“And five minutes before the meeting, Virgil [van Dijk] said: ‘Do you know what the meeting is about?’
“I said no. He said: ‘The manager is leaving’.
“I said: ‘Really, the manager is leaving? You serious? Why?’
“He said: ‘No idea’.
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Jurgen Klopp announced in January he will leave the club at the end of this season after admitting he is struggling with his ‘energy’ for the job
“Then the manager came in and he just said it and it was weird because no-one knew before. There was nothing in the media. He didn’t even prepare us for that, he just said it. That was a weird day for us and for the club.”
The task for Liverpool’s players is to now deliver as many trophies as possible before Klopp’s exit. The Carabao Cup is already in the bag, while an FA Cup quarter-final with Manchester United is on next week’s agenda.
The Reds are all but into the Europa League quarter-finals after dispatching Sparta Prague 5-1 in the last-16 first leg in midweek – and then there is the Premier League. A mouthwatering clash with Manchester City this Sunday, live on Sky Sports with a 3.45pm kick-off, will go some way to dictating the outcome of this year’s title race.
Sunday 10th March 3:00pm
Kick off 3:45pm
“They are decisive games, if I am being honest,” Salah said. “There have been a few years where they have won the league by one point, so when we lost at the Etihad, that was a game where they won the league.
“It’s always a decisive game and I think if we win the next game, we have a great chance to win the title. But I think we have to focus on what we can do and we go from there.
“That [game on Sunday] is very important to give us a push that you want against Man City. The difference would then be three or four points against you, City and Arsenal.
“So it’s still a long way to go. Also in the Europa League, in the semi-finals or final you will face some very good teams…”
Salah – who returned from injury in midweek and is “ready” for Sunday’s game at Anfield – has a very good record against Manchester City in Liverpool colours.
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Salah scored the winning goal the last time Liverpool faced Manchester City at Anfield in the Premier League
The Egypt international has scored 11 goals in 19 matches against Pep Guardiola’s side, including six goals in the previous nine Premier League meetings between the two title rivals.
“I just feel myself in that game, in the big games you just want to play and enjoy,” he said when asked about why he enjoys playing Man City so much.
“I usually just have one defender against me, not two or three. The game is open and I just love the games where I can feel myself. The big players have to step up in the big games and show quality.
“It [City] is an unbelievable team and an unbelievable coach. They have dominated the league for a few years and we have always fought with them.
“You go to the game and you just feel like it’s a six points game, not just a three points game.
“We have a good chance, we play at home, everybody will be excited, the atmosphere will be unbelievable as usual. We just have to focus on our game and try to win the game.”
This season has marked a remarkable improvement for Liverpool under Klopp. The Reds finished in fifth place last season and missed out on Champions League football, but despite losing the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino in the summer, Klopp has managed to rebuild his side into a title-challenging team.
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Paul Merson gives his thoughts ahead of the big Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester City. The top two play each other on Super Sunday at 3:45pm
“To be fair, I am not really surprised,” said Salah when asked if this season has gone the way it has. “In the beginning of the season and pre-season we could see the quality that we have.
“Of course, we miss a lot of good players but I could see the players the club bought were unbelievable and want to achieve something.
“I could see the quality in pre-season and I was really, really positive about it and I thought: we are going to win something.”
Watch the potential title-decider between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield live on Sky Sports on Super Sunday from 3pm; kick-off at 3.45pm
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