Diogo Jota has declared James Milner the finest penalty taker in the Liverpool squad right now.
Milner is one of Liverpool’s most prolific penalty takers of all time, converting 19 of 21 spot-kicks. And, according to Jota, nobody in the current squad can match the 37-year-old.
“If I remember well, in the last shoot out we had in the FA Cup, we had James Milner first – and for me he’s the best,” the Portuguese told AJ3 on YouTube.
Fair enough. But Liverpool do also have another penalty taker supreme in their ranks. And he won’t be happy about hearing this from his attacking teammate. Thankfully, Jota made sure he mentioned Mohamed Salah too.
“I think we had Mo Salah last [in the shootout], so he’s also very good! I think if you have two like them, you just put one first and one last and you should be fine!” Jota claimed.
Salah has long since taken over penalty taking duties for Liverpool. It seems that Milly is still the king though, at least according to Jota, anyway.
Liverpool ‘missing’ their penalties in 2022/23
Liverpool haven’t had much chance to show off their penalty-taking prowess this season. Remarkably, the Reds have had just two spot-kicks all season long.
In the season proper, their only penalty came in the Champions League at Anfield against Rangers. Predictably, Salah buried it.
Mo also stuck away a penalty in the Community Shield win over Manchester City to put the Reds 2-1 up in July.
Aside from that, it’s been slim pickings for Jurgen Klopp’s side. There was a shootout win over Derby County in the Carabao Cup to get excited about, but neither Salah nor Milner were on the pitch for that.
In their absence, Liverpool did an okay job – but Stefan Bajcetic and Roberto Firmino showed that the squad isn’t blessed with takers.
Should £120k-a-week man Milner or Salah not be available, you’d expect Darwin Nunez would be the man to step up. New signing Cody Gakpo is also adept from the spot, scoring two penalties in the Eredivisie this season.
source: https://www.rousingthekop.com/
