Michael Owen: Liverpool Need To Find Goalscorer For Life After Salah

Liverpool legend Michael Owen has urged the Merseyside club to start planning for life after Mo Salah.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with BoyleSports, Owen’s comments come with much speculation around the future of the Egyptian who turns 32 this June.

The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner was candid in his assessment of the situation at Liverpool while offering his take on whether The Reds would be able to win the league if a prime version of himself was in the team instead of Darwin Nunez.

Owen also talked to us about why Liverpool may have overachieved this season, possible landing spots for Crystal Palace’s talented duo of Olise and Eze, plus why a Jack Grealish exit from Man City could make sense for both sides.

Liverpool

Liverpool Need To Prepare For Life After Salah

No, I don't think Liverpool would win the league if they had me in my prime instead of Nunez. For starters, I don't know where I would play in these new positions, as either a central player or one of the wider players, it's hard to know.

Nunez gives Liverpool so much, we judge him on his finishing which has room for improvement but other parts of his game are very good. Liverpool have been blessed in recent years with incredible players, going back to Suarez, Torres, Sturridge, Sterling, Mane, Firmino, Salah of course, you just hope that great tradition continues.

Whether Salah stays or not, he's in his 30s now, he's not going to be there forever and Liverpool are going to have to find someone at some point to go and get those goals again.

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Missed Chances Cost Liverpool Down The Stretch

Well, they have certainly missed a lot of chances in the last month or so and that's cost them. It's been said before but I agree, watching Liverpool this year, I think they have done well to have gone as far as they have.

Another month and hanging on in there, they could have done it with better finishing. I look at Arsenal now and I do think they look like a slick outfit, they have just nosed past Liverpool, with City ahead. I didn't think Liverpool would win the league at the start of the season.

You knew Keita was going, you knew Oxlade-Chamberlain was going, James Milner, but then for Henderson and Fabinho, it was the whole midfield ripped out and then all of a sudden you have to learn on the job.

Liverpool May Have Overachieved This Season

I just thought it would take time, and I've been astonished at how well they did. But early on in the season they were not playing well, and look how often they were behind in games, it was incredible, you can't keep doing that.

So I actually think they may have over-performed this season, they have won a trophy and qualified for the Champions League, not the ideal season but given circumstances it's not been a failure.

Scoring chances is key though and if they could have done that in the last month or so we would still be talking about them in the race.

Future of Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise & Eberechi Eze

I think Olise and Eze would be good signings for Man Utd, I like them, and their record with and without them is a contrast for Palace. I see that.

Dwight Yorke was a proper player himself, he knows what he's talking about and I think they will be on the radar of a lot of top teams.

Jack Grealish To Leave Man City?

Grealish is a great player and he could fit into most teams. I love Jack and I think he's a great lad too, a great ambassador for football. So I don't want to say anything negative, but I must admit when he signed for City I didn't really think he was the right fit for them.

At Villa, he used to pick up the ball, run the length of the pitch, invariably win a foul, Villa would put the ball down, the big guys would come up, they would send the ball in and it would be a set piece. Everything went through him.

City don't want to be fouled, if they get fouled they cannot kick the ball fast enough to start play again, they don't want to cross the ball from wide areas for their big players.

It actually slows them down. When Jack is in really good form it is when he does things really quickly. It is a different style and he has had to adapt. He's a unique player in what he does and he would really suit teams in how they want to play. But it won't suit other teams who play quickly on the counter.

I think he is unique, he looks like he loves it at City so you might have to prize him away as he's winning trophies. And he's such a good person he won't give you any trouble if he's playing or not. I really admire Jack. I'd be surprised if he left.