Today saw Mo Salah score his 80th Liverpool goal. That is just one less than Fernando Torres and two behind Luis Suarez, undoubtedly our best two goalscorers in the past decade.
But the three of them are completely different forwards with one attribute in common - how to score goals at an incredibly frequent rate.
Fernando Torres 2007-2011
Torres was here first and was just the best finisher in world football as far as I was concerned at the time. Hit the ground running and never looked back. He was a goalscorer in every sense of the word. Could finish anything. And for me the best finisher I've seen in a Liverpool shirt after Robbie Fowler. Don't worry about anything else but being in and around the 18 yard box because that's where you're at your most dangerous. Broke record after record during his time here - primarily playing up top on his own.
Luis Suarez 2011-2014
Then Suarez arrived. And he took his time to find his feet in a Liverpool shirt but once he did, F***ing hell did he sink his teeth into it. Almost the complete forward. Wasn't your traditional forward but a bit more of the modern forward. Worked his bollocks off for the cause. Assisted as many as he scored. Gave some honour back to the number 7 shirt. Carried the team at times. Didn't matter where the ball was on the pitch, he wanted it. An absolute c**t of a player to play against but while he was in our colours, it was almost impossible not to love him. Another man who broke so many records while he was here - primarily playing up top as a pair with Sturridge.
Mo Salah 2017-
And now there's Mo Salah. Again, a different type of forward to those before him. They were more central whereas he's a wide man who scores and scores and scores. Suarez got his 82 goals in 133 games, Torres' 81 goals came in 142 games. Mo has played just 121 and is already within touching distance of both. Unplayable at his best and still close to exceptional at his worst. Scores wonderful individual goals, caps off exceptional team goals, right foot (once in a while) the odd header and countless left foot finishes. And I don't know if there's a record that he hasn't broken yet - primarily playing up top as part of a front three with Firmino and Mane.
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