Liverpool's Mohamed Salah was special from the start - Pepijn Lijnders

Published on: 22 April 2018

Jurgen Klopp understands Mo Salah's desire to win the Golden Boot, but doesn't feel he's lost sight of helping Liverpool achieve their team goals. Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp takes a dig at the state of West Brom's pitch and comments on a couple controversial incidents from their draw at The Hawthorns.

NIJMEGEN, Netherlands -- Former Liverpool first-team coach Pepijn Lijnders has told ESPN FC that it was clear "from the start" that Mohamed Salah would become a special player for the Merseyside club.

Salah's record-breaking first season at Liverpool has been recognised by his peers after being named PFA Player of the Year on Sunday, beating Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne to the award.

The Egyptian has scored 31 goals in the Premier League this season -- 41 in all competitions -- and needs one more strike to become the league's greatest-ever goalscorer in a 38-game campaign.

Lijnders, who coached Salah until he left Liverpool to become head coach of Dutch side NEC Nijmegen at the start of 2018, says initial impressions of the 25-year-old following his arrival from Roma were extremely encouraging.

"From the start, you knew [Salah was special]," Lijnders said. "He was so efficient and it looked so smooth with no exaggeration. Everything is just 'go.' The timings of his runs, the speed and a truly beautiful left foot. It looks smooth, it's unbelievable. And no exaggeration, that's the best.

"I think Jurgen [Klopp] made him aware about how to defend in our structure. He's the same as Sadio [Mane], doubling the [attacking] and the next moment he's in the six-yard box of the opposition and scoring a goal. It's to do with ability, of course, but that has something to do with willingness."

Salah has completely put to bed any doubts about whether he can cut it in England after an unsuccessful spell with Chelsea starting in 2014.

Lijnders feels the backing Salah has received from Liverpool and the system Klopp operates are the main reasons as to why he is thriving in the Premier League this time around.

"[It's about] opportunities and connections between staff and players, the atmosphere, the club, the people around the club, consistency there -- that you feel everything is right," he added. "Then a player can over perform.

"The structure you want is that if one winger is dribbling then he can find the other one. Because then your runs are going straight towards the goal, instead of going to the outside.

"If you see, for example, Sadio [Mane] running, you know that Mo is coming somewhere in a position where he can score."

Salah has been part of a high-firing Liverpool frontline that have Klopp's side in the semifinals of the Champions League. He, along with Mane and Roberto Firmino, have scored a combined total of 83 goals in all competitions so far this season.

"I think if the front three of Liverpool gets the ball facing the goal then the team becomes uncontrollable against whatever opposition," Lijnders said. "You can only stop them by doing the exact same thing [as they do], pressing them from the start.

"Liverpool is the best team at inviting certain traps and then they become uncontrollable because then they face the goal with all that space."

Glenn is ESPN FC's Liverpool correspondent. You can follow him on Twitter: @GlennPrice94.

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Source: espn.co.uk

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