It was a procession for Liverpool against West Ham last Sunday lunchtime as the Reds blew away Manuel Pellegrini's men 4-0. After Salah's first goal the result never really looked in doubt, with the Hammers never seriously threatening Liverpool's goal.
It was a bad day too for Irish international Declan Rice, the 19-year-old started in midfield for West Ham, but was hooked at half time with his side 2-0 down.
On The Keith Andrews Show on Off The Ball, Keith Andrews and Eoin Sheehan were discussing the midfielder's performance against the Reds and Andrews was staunch in his defence of Rice, who he believes was unfairly singled out by the manager:
I've been there in that position where you can't get pressure on whoever's on the ball. Once you can't get pressure, you can't engage. If I can't go to you I can't close down and effect the ball, If I come to here and you can play around me you're in no man's land.
So I felt the West Ham midfield for the majority of the game, never mind the first 45 minutes were in no man's land. They were neither stopping balls through to Keita, Firmino dropping as a 10.
Andrews went on to say that from his view of the game it was Rice who was looking to instigate the press, but that his midfield and defence weren't pressing with him and that his substitution wasn't a fair reflection of his performance:
He's hung out to dry being taken off, because people will look at that and think 'taken off after 45 minutes Declan Rice clearly hasn't played well', nonsense. Absolute nonsense.
Andrews went onto say West Ham 'weren't laying a glove on Liverpool', and pointed out that new signing Jack Wilshire was an 'absolute luxury' on the pitch.
