Paul Merson has, during his stint at Sky Sports, become so much more than a pundit. As a football analyst he has sometimes struggled, but as an entertainer his credentials cannot be doubted. Over the years he has given us such gems as "You can’t bite your nose off to spite your face", "that was a damp squid for Liverpool" and "The new manager has given us unbelievable belief."
He continued his role as bumbling, happy-go-lucky 'lad', by leaving out one of the signings of the season, in Mohamed Salah, from his team of the season so far:
⭐️ Paul Merson's team of the season so far...
? Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/XpKCk3b98H
— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) December 20, 2017
Now, not that Salah should be guaranteed a spot in anyone's 11, but the reason Merson had for leaving the electric Egyptian out will have you wondering. When quizzed about the omission, by Sky Sports presenter Max Rushden, Merson gave a scarcely believable answer:
Mo Salah is a good attacking player isn't he? He did not make your Premier League Team of the Season so far?
Merson responds: Yeah, I know, I apologise for that. I forgot about him!
How exactly you can forget about the current top scorer in the Premier League and keep your job as a football analyst is beyond me.
Needless to say football supporters were left scratching their heads at the decision:
Has Kane been the best striker? How is he leaving out Salah? How is he still a pundit? These are all questions we need answering
— Richard lavender (@Lavender901) December 20, 2017
Serious lack of Mo Salah. How can you leave out the leagues top scorer? ?
— Darren Feeney (@DarrenFeeney) December 20, 2017
— Liam Bushby (@LiamJB92) December 20, 2017
Merson minutes before compiling his best eleven pic.twitter.com/5tSPS9vS0W
— David Barran (@BarranDj) December 20, 2017
To be fair Merson did have the good grace to admit his error on TV:
I think my team is strong but I had to put Salah in it. I'm very sorry, happy Christmas, Mo.
You can watch Merson's apology here.
