Manchester United's penalty drama reflects Liverpool's leadership, Mohamed Salah and Jürgen Klopp



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You probably do not remember it, but one of the tiniest clarifications of disagreement between Liverpool and his players last season occurred against Cardiff City in April.

You probably do not remember, but after Mohamed Salah won the match ten minutes from the end, the score was 0-1 against the Reds, he picked up the ball and headed for the goal. Roberto Firmino, noticing the situation, led him to James Milner, as if a child was turning to his father to understand the situation. Firmino knew, Salah knew, Milner knew. Salah wanted to take the penalty, Milner was the first choice. The midfielder grabbed the ball in the arms of the Egyptian, said to his mouth "I'm on a pen" and then placed the ball on the ground. Salah turned away, frustrated.

You probably do not remember it because James Milner scored.

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One of the big stories of this week's Premier League action was held in Molineux, home of the Wolverhampton Wanderers. With Wolves and Manchester United tied at 1-1, visitors from outside were awarded a penalty. It was not Marcus Rashford, who won the previous weekend against four out of four career players who won the match against Chelsea. Paul Pogba, seven out of eleven, who has recently assumed some high responsibilities, has assumed responsibility. The goalkeeper of the Wolves, Rui Patricio, saved him, the match ended on a score of 1-1, Liverpool remaining at the top of the standings.

The reaction was as expected. First, the false assumption was that Pogba had removed Rashford's rights in the field. Later, after being involved in the media, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer declared that Rashford and Pogba were first choice takers and that it was up to them at the time.

United's former man, Gary Neville, said that he "did not like that" and that "there should never be any debate". He continued, "There was no leader there. Something was wrong. Gary Lineker, the host of the Match of the Day, called it "inexplicable"; Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore called it "non-negotiable".

A similar situation could have occurred in Wales last April. Milner could have given the ball to Salah, Salah could have missed. For this to happen, Milner would have had to give up his responsibilities and Salah would not be able to convert.

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You probably do not remember it, but one of the tiniest clarifications between Liverpool and his players in 2017/18 was produced against Huddersfield Town in January 2018.

You probably do not remember, but after Emre Can kicked 12 minutes from the end, the score was 0-2 against the Reds, Milner picked up the ball and headed for the goal. Salah asked him, trying to get rid of his failure against the same team earlier in the season. The veteran handed it to him reluctantly after exchanging a few words.

You probably do not remember it because Mohamed Salah scored.

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Something similar has already happened at Anfield. In the final match of the Europa League with the Turkish club Beşiktaş JK in 2015, Jordan Henderson was preparing to take the penalty, before Mario Balotelli intervene and take the speed. He was described as "disrespectful" by Steven Gerrard, who escaped the match and sat down at the TV studio, under the watchful eye of his vice-captain.

This shows the change in nearly five years in Liverpool. It is certain that Henderson would not retire now, while Milner, the current vice-captain, stood well in front of a much better player than Balotelli (although the Italian was fantastic on the throws) . Yet Milner also knew why Salah wanted him. the game was won and a personal score had to be established, which he did with force.

These things happen in the game and there is nothing wrong with that. Players feel confident, ready to score from the start. Something is wrong if this kind of event does not happen.

Jürgen Klopp, however, has the power to have a designated order, which Milner and Salah have both accepted. After Milner scored against Fulham last March, the German coach confirmed it. "Millie has the penalties, when he's on the field, it makes sense," he said. Sensem because he took 18 penalties for Liverpool and scored 16, a success rate of 88.8%. Throughout his career, both in his club and in his country, he has achieved 27 out of 32, a success rate of about 84%. In the modern game, where large margins matter and where analysis is of paramount importance, it seems really hard not to designate a first choice taker as Solskjaer failed to do at Old Trafford.

Salah is also a good second option for Milner, who is not guaranteed to be on the field, Salah missed his first free-kick for the Reds, against Huddersfield at Anfield, but has since converted all the others , including in the Champions League final; He also scored 12 yards to send Egypt back to its first FIFA World Cup since 1990, underlining his courage. His career percentage is close to 79%, with 11 out of 14.

The differences between Liverpool and Manchester United have been popular to emphasize lately, considering how the roles have reversed. The Wolverhampton show only shows another way for the Reds to gather more leaders, on and off the field.

Anyone can miss a penalty, but that is when it becomes a news that something fundamental is wrong.

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