Mohamed Salah or Cristiano Ronaldo? Who would you pick to play on the right wing of your all-time Premier League XI?
This was the debate on Sky Sports’ Saturday Social that went viral over the weekend. Nieve Petruzziello and Lawrence Bury ‘Buvey’ found themselves on opposing sides.
Nieve was Team Salah, while Buvey was Team Ronaldo. Both agreed that Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney made up the rest of the front three, but it was the right-hand side that caused conflict.
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A look back at the magical moments from Mohamed Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo as the debate rages on as to who should fill the right wing slot in an all-time Premier League XI.
Saturday Social ultimately went with Ronaldo over Salah, but the debate rages on, so we pitted two of our football journalists against one and another to make their case for each side.
Watch the debate that went viral by clicking play on the video at the top of this page and have your say by voting in our poll…
The case for Salah
Mo Salah has lifted one Premier League trophy and is destined to do so again this season
If you’re picking a greatest XI, or a world XI, or a European XI, you pick Cristiano Ronaldo over Mo Salah. But in any of those contexts, you are selecting Ronaldo as a striker.
If we are talking pure Premier League, Ronaldo doesn’t even enter the conversation ahead of the Egyptian King.
Salah’s best Premier League season has surpassed Ronaldo’s, he has played better more consistently in the league as well. The only argument for Ronaldo’s selection over the Liverpool star is based on what he did after leaving England. So how can he be in a Premier League XI over Salah?
Ronaldo won more titles, yes. But if we’re basing it on titles then our right-side pick should go to David Beckham. Hands down, at this point, Salah has been the best right-sided player the Premier League has ever seen. And it’s not even close.
For what it’s worth, here’s my all-time Premier League XI (4-4-2): Cech, Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, A Cole; Keane, Lampard; De Bruyne; Salah, Rooney, Henry. Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson.
Simeon Gholam
The case for Ronaldo
Ronaldo won three Premier League titles over six seasons
Mo Salah being spoken about in the same breath as Cristiano Ronaldo is an accolade in itself.
Their individual awards don’t even stack up despite suggestions Salah, playing in the English top-flight in his prime, has been better over a longer period of time. That’s just in the Premier League too.
Part of Ronaldo’s greatness is that he was so good so young. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2008 and came second a year earlier at 22 years old. Salah has never even made the top three.
For all his consistency, Salah has only twice featured in the PFA team of the season out of a possible seven since signing for Liverpool. Ronaldo, on the other hand, featured in five over his six seasons.
That is voted on by Premier League players, by the way.
Outside of goals, the Salah argument dries up, whereas Ronaldo brought more to the table to supplement his ability to find the net regularly. Ronaldo captured hearts and minds with his elegance and skill.
If it’s numbers over talent, then Thierry Henry should never be named in an all-time Premier League XI over the competition’s greatest goalscorer, Alan Shearer. At least be consistent.
This is my all-time Premier League XI (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Neville, Terry, Vidic, Cole, Scholes, De Bruyne, Ronaldo, Rooney, Shearer, Henry. Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson.
William Bitibiri
