The ex-Liverpool star argues that Liverpool winger Sadio Mane avoids winning penalty kicks as he knows that they will be taken by Salah.
Former Liverpool marksman Michael Owen suggested that Senegalese winger Sadio Mane avoided an opportunity to win a penalty kick against Chelsea because he knew that Mohamed Salah would have been the one to take it.
Owen argues Mane could have won a penalty kick in the first half against Chelsea when he was tackled by Andreas Christensen, but he kept going instead and didn't go to ground to reduce Salah's chances to scoring.
Owen thinks Mane wants to limit Salah's chances of scoring
“I just wonder, and it might be few devious thoughts creeping into my head, Mo Salah is the penalty taker in this team, and if he (Mane) thinks he’s getting a chance to score he thinks ‘well I’m going to score, if I don’t stay on my feet, Mo Salah’s going to get another penalty,” Owen told Optus sport.
Owen also added that this isn't the first time he has noticed Mane doing such a thing, claiming that this behavior might be fueled by the competitive nature of the players who have been competing for individual awards including the golden boot over the past few seasons.
“It might be a wild sort of theory, but the competitive nature of him and Mo Salah...we’ve seen them not passing to each other when one of them is in a much better position than the other. I just think a couple of times there, I’ve seen Mane go down for those kinds of opportunities...and (to not do it) two games on the spin? It just made me think a little bit," said Owen.
Salah now sits top of the Premier League goal scorers chart with 17 goals despite the loss his team endured to Chelsea yesterday which saw the Reds go down for the fifth game in a row at Anfield for the first time in their history.
citid
449
Thiago's avrage movements this season.
Futkmouy
380
well Owen is right in some way. Maybe this is the match he watched and this incident happened so he is right to comment this way. Is a follower of Liverpool fc, i can confidently say that the two even though are prolific in scoring have each others back pinned against the wall. Especially Sala. I remember this issue came up and robo came to their defense saying they are paid to be selfish. I see Sala as more selfish than manne. The team needs someone to put these two great guys together like cane and Son of Tottenham hospurs. Mane i know is not a good diver and this is a second time his actions have cost us a point. Technically the ability of these two guys in the opponent box is fading.
Abdullahjalloh
168
If Mane falls,they accuse him of diving and when he doesn't he is doing it on purpose. Why don't you tell Salah to fall and win himself a penalty. To me personally, It's just stupid to say such things. First it was Thiago and now it's Mane. Liverpool have been playing without natural CBs for almost the entire season and that is their one and only problem.