• Salah is considered the Reds talisman after scoring more than 50 Premier League goals in just two seasons at Anfield.
• Carragher also highlighted the importance of Mane’s goals this season.
Image: REUTERS
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has underlined the importance of Sadio Mane to Jurgen Klopp’s title challengers by claiming he’d rather lose Mohamed Salah than the Senegalese star.
Salah is considered the Reds talisman after scoring more than 50 Premier League goals in just two seasons at Anfield. But when Carragher was asked if he had to hypothetically lose one of Mane or Salah, he immediately replied: ‘Salah.’ Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Watford, Carragher hailed the former Southampton man as the catalyst of Liverpool’s transformation under Jurgen Klopp.
He said: “I’m a massive fan of Mane. People talk about Jurgen Klopp, the signings of Salah, Van Dijk, unbelievable. “Mane is the one that got Liverpool back. If you think, he was Klopp’s first big signing, paid £30m.
“He was the signing that got Liverpool into the top four. The next season it was the Champions League final, this season it’s challenging for the title.”
Carragher also highlighted the importance of Mane’s goals this season. He scored in the crucial wins over Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Fulham and Burnley as well as helping his side collect important points against Leicester and West Ham.
He added: “It’s not just scoring, being top of the charts, getting goals when it’s 4-0 and banging a couple in at the end of the game, it’s the importance of the goals Mane is getting. “You think about it and I think sometimes he goes under the radar. You’ve got Salah, Van Dijk at the back, the goalkeeper.
“Liverpool are going for a first title in almost 30 years. He’s the best wide player Liverpool have had for 30 years. “You have to go back to John Barnes since Liverpool have had a wide player like that.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool have been backed to be crowned Premier League champions this season by the man who knocked them off their perch. Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes the Reds will reign supreme over Manchester City once the season is over come May.
Ferguson’s belief is because he backs United to take points off City when the two teams meet at Old Trafford on April 24. All of this is according to Jonathan Walters who made the claim after speaking with his old team-mate and former United defender Phil Bardsley who spent time with Ferguson during the week.
“I was chatting with Phil Bardsley and I’m gonna drop a name here, he was sat with Sir Alex Ferguson,” Walters told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast. ‘He sat with him and he thinks Liverpool are going win it.
"He thinks Liverpool because he thinks United will get something out of the City game."
As things stand in the table, Liverpool are on 85 points having played 34 games. They are two points clear of City who have a game in hand.