EXCL: Liverpool show they can win big without Salah, plus thoughts on Henderson's Ajax move and Olise-LFC transfer links

This week's Liverpool FC column, featuring Henderson, Olise, and much more!

Liverpool attack still a threat even without Mohamed Salah

I think it was understandable that a lot of Liverpool fans looked at last Sunday’s trip to Bournemouth with a degree of trepidation. Given the players the Reds had missing, and the way they stumbled at the Vitality Stadium last season, it certainly looked like a game which had the potential to derail them.

So the manner in which Jurgen Klopp’s side dealt with it was impressive, to say the least. They have made a habit this season of performing better in the second half of games, and this was as commanding and as dominant a 45 minutes as they have produced all season away from home.

The finishing, from both Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, was exceptional and that will have pleased Klopp immensely, with so much made of the absence of Mohamed Salah due to AFCON. Nunez, in particular, has come under fire for his goal record, but 10 goals and 10 assists this season is no mean feat, while Jota is up to 11 goals himself.

That is why Liverpool have spent so much money assembling this frontline, so that it is not reliant on one player or even two players. Salah remains their main man, of course, and they’ll want him back as soon as possible, but this is a team that can cope without him, and that has the firepower to worry any opponent.

Michael Olise surely heading for a big six club this summer - will it be Liverpool?

It’s clear to me that Michael Olise is a player who is ready to take the next step in his career. I expect him to leave Crystal Palace in the summer, and I expect him to join a top-six club.

I can understand why Liverpool’s name is in the mix, given he’s a left-footer who plays on the right - and we know that the Reds have a potential challenge regarding another of those coming up!