It’s hard to think of a more likeable footballer in the modern game than Mo Salah. When you weight it all up, what is there to possibly dislike about him?
A deeply religious man with great values, he plays the game in exactly right way without an ounce of ego and snide – there is no feigning injury, berating referees or a lack of team ethic.
He has become a sporting icon all around the world after his remarkable feats in 2017/18 and is arguably the most popular and important sportsman in Africa right now.
After being cruelly taken out of the Champions League final by the anti-Salah in many ways, Sergio Ramos, the 25-year-old’s World Cup adventure is all but over, despite his best efforts in an under-cooked capacity.
In the hours and days since Egypt were downed by hosts Russia, we have heard bizarre, mocking jibes from a section of rival English supporters that seem truly baffling.
Were it Luis Suarez or no doubt many other former Liverpool players who have rubbed people up the wrong way, it would be understandable, but Salah? What has he done to merit such ridicule?
Perhaps the most intriguing subplot in all of this is that these odd ‘rival’ fans are neither Man United or Everton supporters, as you might expect.
They’re not even Chelsea fanatics, with Liverpool having had such a bitter rivalry with them since the mid-2000s, and even Arsenal fans you could just about understand an attempt at being on the wind-up.
In fact, it is those of a Man City and Tottenham persuasion who have been unfathomably vocal, as they continue their quest to start a rivalry with the Reds that barely exists.
Lads, we don’t mind your clubs, we don’t mind your managers and there is no history whatsoever between us. Give it a rest.
So why are City and Spurs so hellbent on ripping Salah to shreds and revelling in one of world football’s good guys suffering more misery?
The answer is simple: Liverpool have really got under their skin in recent times and Salah has been the driving force behind it all.
Let’s start with City, who instead of savouring a magnificent title triumph are more interested in talking about the Reds every day of their existence.
Their imperious campaign may have been a record-breaking one, with 100 points in the Premier League a stunning achievement, but Liverpool prevented it from being a truly iconic season.
The two sides met on four occasions in all competitions and Liverpool prevailed on three of them, with the 5-0 loss at the Etihad last September mainly down to Sadio Mane’s unlucky but ultimately fair red card.
When Pep Guardiola’s men strutted into Anfield in January, talk of an unbeaten Premier League season was on the cards, but they were undone by a superb Reds display, with the 4-3 scoreline actually kind on the eventual champions.
That will have been part one of where this sudden bitterness has come from.
Then there was the Champions League quarter-final – you know, the one where their entire fanbase has tried to claim it was thousands of Liverpool supporters throwing things at the City team bus, rather than an idiotic few.
Liverpool ended their European dream in emphatic fashion, which again will have hurt them deeply, as they desperately try to dominate in the competition that continues to frustrate them.
What do those three wins all have in common? Salah scored in every one, and it helped him pip Kevin De Bruyne to all the end-of-season awards.
It sounds petty, but that will have also have irked them.
If City weren’t deeply threatened by Jurgen Klopp’s ever-improving Liverpool side they would simply keep quiet and deem them an irrelevance.
Instead, they couldn’t look more bothered if they tried, and in Salah they have someone who is the poster boy for their new most hated club.
As for Spurs, they have become a bunch of oddballs from nowhere, obsessing about the Reds as much as they do bitter rivals Arsenal.
Again, like City, there is no reason for there to be any dislike between the north Londoners and Liverpool, but they are doing their best efforts to make it happen.
Quite where their seeming dislike of Salah has come from remains unknown, but the fact he beat their precious Harry Kane to the Golden Boot will no doubt have irritated them.
Especially with their star man was attempting to claim goals and acting like that kid in the playground who only cares about his goal tally.
Why should Spurs fans think any differently about Salah than United and Everton supporters? There is genuinely no explanation for it.
With both clubs, it is proof of how good not only Liverpool have become – yes Spurs fans, we know you’ll bang on about finishing above us when yet again we had bigger fish to fry than the league in April and May – but also what a devastating weapon Salah is.
The Reds have someone who is a bonafide world star, and every goal he scores, assist he produces and award that comes his way seems to rub City and Spurs fans up the wrong way.
It would be wrong to excuse the likes of United, Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal any mocking in all of this because there will be many from those fanbases reacting in a similar manner.
Similarly, Liverpool fans are no angels a lot of the time, and some will no doubt be making some strange accusations about City and Spurs.
It is still head-scratching as to why their supporters are comfortably standing out from the pack, however, when it comes to this unreasonable treatment of Salah and fixation with the Reds.
Take it as one big compliment, Mo.
Where on Earth do you get the idea that City fans have been slating Mo Salah?
I support City. I wanted Mo Salah to get POTY. He totally deserved it. You’re making this City ‘hate’ for Mo Salah up. What annoyed City fans was the actions of Liverpool fans at Anfield. That will not be forgotten but Mo Salah is a great player and we all know it.
Utd thankfully are finished….providing Bale doesn’t save them.
Let’s bring some perspective to this sad article. Liverpool fans created the situation with Tottenham by taking the mick out of Kane and giving it large about how much better than Tottenham they were. Tottenham fans are just having the last laugh by ending above Liverpool as always and watching Salah’s season fall apart – after his tweet about Kane. Anyway you know all this, hence the reason why you wasted so much time on this garbage. City are presumably enjoying the fact that they are going to win the league every the Sheikh stays
Always the Victims light some candels ( if there are any left in griverpool) you know its YOUR year.. soon.. hahaha
“Spurs and City are obsessed with us” cries the guy who’s writing an article obsessing about Spurs and City. Urgh.
Hahahahaha so many salty city and Spurs fans. You can try and deny you guys have an obsession with us but if you look on social media for a second you’ll see it’s true. Get over us, we don’t spare a second thought on you.
Cry me a river. Always playing the victim this article and others like it that are pure fantasy. The only reason anyone mocks you is because of your scumbag fans. So crawl back under your rocks and shot up bleating like little lamb’s
Funniest thing I’ve read in ages. It was Liverpool fans that started all the nonsense with Spurs. Some of you are still crying about the Anfield result. And some are even saying they can’t stand Kane so much that they won’t celebrate when he scores for England in the World Cup. Pathetic. The fact that you couldn’t beat us and finished below us again may have something to do with it.
Hahaha! Kops arguably the best Fans in the world, Liverpool arguably playing the best football in the world, Jurgen Klopp arguably becoming the most admirable Coach in the world, so why won`t the opposition fans cry?
Well, it`s obvious they want more. Just wait till Aug-Sept. we will give u another aromatic treat. Lol1
Didn’t look like you were playing the best football in the world when you got spanked at Wembley by Spurs.
Fred you’re deluded fella. Face facts. You are the 4th best team in England. The league doesn’t lie. And yes you got to the final of the champions league. But you lost to the only team you played against that has any European pedigree. A team that Tottenham beat comfortably. Calm down.
grow up u morans its a fact lfc is better in many aspects than both of spurs and city, we are legends can u beat that
What is there to possibly dislike about him?
How about his refusal to shake hands with Israeli players and his willingness to shake hands with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
On a footballing note, he had a great season but it’s the first of his career. Let’s see if he can do it consistently before declaring him Godlike.
LFC – the fact that an article has been written about it and you commented suggest otherwise. Oh and the thousands of Liverpool comments about Harry Kane and Liverpool ending above Tottenham. Dear oh dear you are a deluded bunch
Steven Rambo – anyone who spells ‘moron’ as ‘moran’ clearly is one – a moran or moron. Take your pick
Oi Rambo, your ex players may have been legends but nothing about the current players and club screams legends. It screams 4th best team in England. Wake up Mr. Deluded.