Why I hope that Mohamed Salah doesn’t rating sufficient to nab wonderful purpose file from this Newcastle star, writes MATT BARLOW

Mohamed Salah’s objectives have dried up since Liverpool slipped out of Europe with the league title just about within the bag.

That one in opposition to Tottenham eight days in the past, quantity 4 of 5 on a day of pure pleasure at Anfield, was his twenty eighth Premier League purpose of the season and but his first for seven weeks.

It received’t bother the champions. It won’t hassle Salah. One other title medal is on the best way and a brand new contract is signed. However with solely three to play, that dry spell would possibly protect a file that has stood greater than 70 years.

George Robledo of Newcastle scored 33 league objectives in 1951-52, probably the most in a top-flight season by an overseas-registered and foreign-born participant.

There have been 4 extra video games to a season again then, besides, the file’s endurance is stunning while you consider the objectives plundered by world-class forwards resembling Thierry Henry and Luis Suarez because the Premier League went actually international.

Erling Haaland swept in with 36 in his first Manchester Metropolis season however is dominated out on a technicality as a result of he was born in Leeds.

Robledo was born in Iquique, in northern Chile, 99 years in the past, though introduced up from the age of six in South Yorkshire.

His mom Elsie labored as a private assistant to the spouse of a rich British chemical engineer employed within the mining and sodium nitrate industries within the Atacama desert the place she met his father, Aristides.

They married and had three sons. And the household had been all aboard the Reina del Pacifico set to sail for Liverpool from Valparaiso when Aristides skipped from the ship on a pretence that he was going to purchase cigarettes. He didn’t return.

They sailed with out him and Elsie raised the boys, George, Ted and Walter in West Melton, a small city within the Dearne Valley, a area famed within the post-war period for its coal and a wealthy manufacturing line of footballing expertise.

George labored within the pits and performed for Barnsley within the previous Division Two, the place his exploits as an inside ahead quickly drew curiosity from greater and wealthier golf equipment.

Newcastle received the struggle to signal him as a result of they had been ready to signal Ted. They paid £26,500 for the pair. George was at all times thought of extra naturally gifted, however his youthful brother developed into an excellent wing-half. Their story is not any secret. You will have been, as I used to be, conversant in the title, its origins and its standing as one other pearl of trivia.

George was the primary South American to seem in an FA Cup last in 1951. Ted was the second in 1952 once they each began the ultimate in opposition to Arsenal, and George headed in the one purpose. Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa had been the third and fourth, 30 years later.

The whole Robledo story although, as advised by Spencer Vignes in Postcards from Santiago revealed by Biteback, reveals a lot extra. It retraces Ted’s mysterious disappearance at sea, suspected murdered at 42, and the late twist of a secret sibling. Furthermore, there’s a great wealth of element to savour, a lot of it retrieved from letters and postcards despatched by George, who turned out to be simply as prolific with a pen as he was with a ball.

He wrote to pals in Barnsley when he moved to Newcastle and he wrote to pals in Newcastle when he left them for Colo-Colo in Chile.

Colo-Colo had been so inundated with requests for autographs they mass produced postcards bearing {a photograph} of George to simplify the method, however he didn’t merely scribble a signature, he wrote messages and if anybody wrote again, which they typically did, he would write once more.

Vignes found connections in South Yorkshire and Tyneside nonetheless cherishing bundles of hand-written correspondence from one of many few real stars of world soccer on the time.

Robledo was a product of English soccer as a lot as Chilean soccer, however he was in little question which nation he would characterize when worldwide recognition turned a chance.

George received his first cap for Chile on the World Cup finals in 1950, enjoying in a bunch recreation in opposition to England, though he barely knew a phrase of Spanish and spoke English with a robust Yorkshire accent.

As soon as again in Chile, the place he met his spouse Gladys, he declined alternatives to return to golf equipment in England. He lived there till his loss of life in 1989 on the age of 62.

It’s only pure that his story fades as soccer seasons rattle by, rekindled solely when his achievements are about to be surpassed.

So, within the nicest doable approach, lengthy could it dwell on. Salah can do with out 33 objectives and the legend of George Robledo can keep within the dialog for a bit of longer.

FIVE THINGS I LEARNED THIS WEEK

1. If Evanilson’s winner at Arsenal cannoned in off his elbow, Bournemouth will really feel they’re due the luck. They’ve had seven objectives worn out by VAR this season. It’s hardly stunning followers suspect officers discover it simpler to rule in opposition to ‘little previous Bournemouth’. 

Evanlison solely performed as a result of an attraction overturned his pink card from the Manchester United recreation, when the time taken to achieve the mistaken choice was the time added on to concede an equaliser within the 96th minute.

2. Eric Dier was surplus to necessities at Tottenham, not fast sufficient to manage in a high-line defence, however his third purpose in 4 video games sparked a Bayern Munich comeback at Leipzig. Outcomes on Sunday imply he and Harry Kane at the moment are Bundesliga champions. Life after Spurs, who knew?

3. Cardiff received none of six beneath their first supervisor of the season and none of three beneath their third. Within the 37 video games in between, Omer Riza collected 41 factors, a ratio which might have stored them up if sustained over 46 video games. Riza picked them up once they had been all-time low, gave them a preventing likelihood they usually sacked him and sank again to the underside. Some golf equipment get what they deserve.

4. No play-offs for Studying however we must always applaud their heroic efforts in disaster — and hopefully one thing extra treasured than promotion is afoot with the top of the Dai Yongge period.

5. Burton Albion accomplished one other nice escape in League One however for survival tales it’s onerous to beat Boston United, who’ve received 9 of the final 12 beneath Graham Coughlan. From 12 factors adrift in March, they go into the ultimate recreation at Maidenhead on Monday with Nationwide League standing safe.