“No one has shown more than Messi and Ronaldo” - Kleberson says ‘consistently brilliant’ Mohamed Salah still not the best player in the world
Jose Kleberson has said that despite Mohamed Salah's consistently brilliant displays, the Egyptian is still not at the level of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Salah has been on a tear for Liverpool, especially this season, having racked up 12 goals across competitions. His winner in the Reds' Champions League win at Atletico Madrid made him the first Liverpool player to score in nine consecutive games across competitions.
Salah has scored over 100 goals at Liverpool since arriving at the club in the summer of 2017. While acknowledging Salah's consistency, Kleberson said that the Egyptian still has some way to go before he is called the best player in the world. He explained:
"Mohamed Salah isn’t the best player in the world, but he has been consistently brilliant. For a long time now, he’s played excellent football. He certainly isn’t a one-season wonder, and I can understand why Jurgen Klopp called him the best in Europe."
Is Mo Salah the best player in the world right now? 😳 https://t.co/mU9VNMDm3p
The former Manchester United player noted that Salah has benefitted from having world-class teammates at Liverpool. But he elaborated that there have been better and more consistent players for club and country than the Egyptian. Kleberson said:
"Beside Salah, Liverpool have a good team that provides great support, and he looks happy there. Things are going well for Salah, but he’s not the best player in the world right now. For me, it’s tough to say who is the world’s best player because I measure it by those who play well for club and country."
Kleberson added that the game has evolved a lot, but very few have matched the consistent displays of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over the years. He said:
"Football has changed a lot. For many years, we had Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and sometimes Neymar, but there's no one who has shown more than they have."
Kleberson also spoke about Ronaldo's return to Manchester United. He has urged the Red Devils to give the attacker adequate support to help him inspire the team to success, saying:
"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to find a way for this team to play with Ronaldo in the side. Ronaldo is like Lionel Messi at Barcelona and now PSG. He needs support from the players behind him, so that he has the freedom to create chances and improve the team."
Kleberson cited his own example in this regard, adding that Ronaldo could blossom at United if he has the right personnel around him. He said:
"Players need to understand this and create better options for him (Ronaldo). When I was with Brazil’s national team, I had players like Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho in front of me."
"My job was to protect those guys, win the ball and find them in a good position with freedom to attack the goal, and Solskjær must make that happen for United. Cristiano has just got back to the club, and Ole must find a way to build around him."
How does Mohamed Salah compare with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo this season?
Mohamed Salah has been on a tear for Liverpool this season. The Egyptian has bagged seven goals and four assists in eight Premier League games, and five goals in three Champions League matches.
Mohamed Salah has now scored in 9 consecutive games for Liverpool in all competitions (11 goals) 🤯
#UCL https://t.co/GMmqyPlZVt
Cristiano Ronaldo has also fared well on his return to Manchester United this season after more than a decade. He has scored six goals in eight games across competitions, netting thrice apiece in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, who moved to PSG this summer, has endured a rather quiet start to life in Paris. He has scored thrice in as many Champions League games, but is yet to open his account in Ligue 1 for the star-studded team.