"He was amazing"; "I thought he looked tremendous" - Pundits heap praise on Liverpool star after Ipswich win
Liverpool began their 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a 2-0 victory over newly promoted Ipswich Town at Portman Road, with talisman Mohamed Salah stealing the headlines. In the aftermath of the match, renowned football pundits Jeff Stelling and Ally McCoist expressed their admiration for the Egyptian star, showering him with praise for his decisive contributions.
The first goal of the match came from a brilliantly executed move that saw Salah provide an inch-perfect assist for Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward made no mistake in converting the chance, putting Liverpool ahead, and setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Shortly afterwards, Salah got on the scoresheet himself, poking the ball past Christian Walton after it fell his way in the area. That goal added another feather to the cap of the Egyptian, as he has now scored more opening-day goals (nine) than any other player in Premier League history.
Jeff Stelling was quick to highlight Salah’s sharpness during the game, stating (via TBR Football):
“What was really interesting I thought was just how sharp Salah looked at Portman Road. He was amazing.”
Ally McCoist, a former Scotland international and now a respected voice in football punditry, echoed Stelling’s sentiments, adding:
“I thought he looked tremendous. He just looks lean, he looks fit, he looks hungry, what a football player, what a football player!”
Jamie Carragher wishes Liverpool had signed Pedro Neto ahead of Chelsea – Reports
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was not happy that Chelsea signed Pedro Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers and said he would have loved for the Portuguese winger to move to Anfield.
Neto recently joined Chelsea in a deal worth £54 million and made his debut as a substitute in the Blues' 0-2 defeat against Manchester City on Sunday (August 18). While Carragher has been critical of Chelsea’s transfer business, he believes Pedro Neto is a jackpot signing for any club. He told Sky Sports (via Mirror);
"The reason I’ve chosen him is because I think, but for injuries, I think this is a player that could play for the best teams in the world – I really do believe that."
"He’s a player I have always watched for Wolves in the last three or four years, who I’ve always thought, ‘I’d love Liverpool to sign him’."
"I just look at him, the pace and the quality on the ball; he scores goals, and I just hope he stays fit. My only worry is that he is best on the right, cutting in on that left foot—probably where Cole Palmer likes to play as well."
"But I think if Chelsea could keep him fit, I think he’s a special talent, and he’s a player that I love to watch, and I actually get down a little bit when I hear he’s injured, even though Wolves are not my team. So yeah, I'd love to see him stay fit as I think he's one of the top players in the Premier League when he's fit."
Liverpool are yet to make a transfer in the ongoing transfer window having failed to bring in Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.