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Mohamed Salah

LIVERPOOL. – There’s no doubt Mohamed Salah is the man of the moment, with 20 goals already this soccer season and it’s not even halfway through.

Naturally, Liverpool are eager to put him front and centre on interviews and promotions. The latest is an interview featuring how he always wanted to play for Liverpool. There was even a fan-pleasing reference to winning the league title someday. A simultaneous glance at the table might provoke laughter but for Liverpool fans themselves, the laughs soon catch in the throat.

The league is the trophy supporters want so badly. For a club that focusses so much on its history it’s not comforting to note this is easily the longest period in their existence that the club hasn’t been able to call itself the best in England.

The previous longest spell fell between 1923 and 1947, a poor run extended by the Second World War. The infamous game in 2014 when Steven Gerrard slipped and Liverpool lost 2-0 to Chelsea meant the Reds had to trudge on through their title famine, breaking that record of 24 years.

Barring the miracle of all miracles, the barren spell will extend to 28 years very soon. In a way Manchester City’s near-perfect run is a blessing for the hierarchy at Anfield.

Only the dewy-eyed optimists thought they’d see a title challenge at Anfield this year anyway. The realistic ambition was to repeat last season’s top four finish while giving it a good go in the Champions League, hopefully proving Liverpool could compete meaningfully in a far busier season.

Fans can place a sly finger over the top of the table, pretend City don’t exist and imagine they’re in a race with the other clubs. Normally that would be humiliating but in such an odd season it’s nothing other ambitious clubs won’t be doing themselves.

It will only be a temporary reprieve of course because Liverpool will soon be in season 2018-19, triggering the five-year gap between authentic title challenges; 2008-09 under Rafa Benitez and 2013-04 under Brendan Rodgers. Easier said than done, but the club really needs to take stock and figure out what it’s doing all this for.

Cynics can claim it’s just about money for businessmen but at what point do they ask themselves how Liverpool can change the narrative from annual also-rans to serious long-term contenders? – ESPN.