Jordan Henderson believes Mo Salah will react similarly to Luis Suarez amid recent boos. Mohamed Salah once again proved the difference for Liverpool during their 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
It was a much-needed win for the Reds who lost their crucial tie with Manchester City and were eliminated from the FA Cup at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Down on the south coast, though, Liverpool once again showed the type of grit and determination that has seen them emerge as Premier League title challengers.
Smothering the Seagulls with another sound defensive performance, the deciding moment came on the 50th minute when Pascal Gross felled Salah in the penalty area.
Salah himself proceeded to step up and fire the penalty past David Button, but the episode wasn't without its controversy, despite the majority of football fans calling it the right decision.
Recent criticism for Salah
The incident was somewhat blown out of proportions because Salah has been involved in a number of penalty decisions recently, leading some to accuse him of regular 'diving.'
That, in turn, has led to the Egyptian receiving some unsavoury receptions and rival fans were heard booing him over the weekend.
However, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has now defended his teammate and believes he will react to the criticism in a similar vein to Luis Suarez.
It was noted that Suarez was often spurred on by negative comments - even taunting David Moyes with a 'diving' celebration - and Henderson has agreed with the comparison.
“Yeah, Mo's the same,” Henderson replied, according to the Liverpool Echo.
“He’s got this very strong mentality and I thought he was brilliant at Brighton.
“He will do things that some fans might not see that often but they should enjoy him because he is world class.
“It was a penalty, a clear penalty. There’s nothing to talk about that.
“In terms of Mo, I would think away grounds would be appreciative of what they see. The things he does, I’m sure he is a joy to watch.
“If they try to put pressure on him, they will only make him better. It won’t bother him. He’s so strong, I know he is.
“The more people are against him, the more he will want to prove them wrong. I’m not worried about that. When he goes to away grounds, people should appreciate him. He will do things that people want to see.”
Interesting stuff, Jordan, and fair play for coming to Salah's defence.
One of the attributes that made Suarez such an omnipotent force in the Premier League was his incredible drive, often fuelled by the criticism of others.
As long as Salah can react in similar fashion to the current Barcelona striker and isn't drowned out by the cries of fans, he'll be on to a winner.
If Henderson's opinion is to be trusted, away fans are only shooting themselves in the foot by daring to boo Salah.
Do you think Salah will win the Golden Boot this season? Have your say in the comments section below.
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