Sadio Mane – Liverpool’s gift that keeps on giving
A day to remember, the day Liverpool and Klopp signed, Sadio Mane!
Looking back when everything transfer related was the link between Sadio Mane, LFC, and the Saints.
But when are Liverpool and the Saints not locked in transfer negotiations?
The whole of Liverpool had divided opinions over the price tag of the player and were up in arms about the signing of yet again, another Southampton player.
Soon after, Mane silenced every Liverpool fan who ever doubted him, as early as preseason. He had the LFC community eating out his hand.
Sadio was deployed on the right-hand side of the field and ran mayhem throughout the Premier League.
Both, Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho were instrumental to the club’s, well, success (If that’s what you want to call it).
The two wingers, chipped in with the most goals and contributed with a number of assists during the season.
Sadly, with Mane being out for a large part of the second half. One can only imagine what his goal tally would have been. It would have, inevitably help the club end in a better position.
Mane has been nothing short of a revelation at LFC! Implementing himself as the player Klopp was in need of and what we could look forward to with another speed merchant in Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool are fast becoming a deadly threat on paper and on the pitch with the new additions we keep including to our beloved club. Sadio is living proof, Klopp and the Reds are on the right on track.
How Sadio showed the fans the Mane was well spent:
In the warmup games, it was quite easy to see, Mane was thriving off Klopp’s style of play. Mane was a player who literally couldn’t miss a game, or the team would sorely miss him.
Liverpool’s first game of the season was a well contested, 3-4 victory over Champions League-less, Arsenal. Mane was the star of the show, with a great solo goal, which awarded the African player, goal of the month.
Sadio Mané's goal against Arsenal was voted Match of the Day's Goal of the Month. #LFC pic.twitter.com/nCv8FSn1QD
— The Anfield Talk (@TheAnfieldTalk) September 11, 2016
What happened next was the deciding factor, the Reds were lost without their new signing. Burnley handed the first defeat to Liverpool.
Liverpool’s attack possessed no pace without the Senegalese. No threat, no runner off the shoulder of the defenders.
The turn of the year, Sadio was set to leave for the African Cup of Nations. A sad reality, not one fan was ready to accept. The result? Fatal and total doom!
Thankfully, this is part of the history in the fight for top-four and thank God, we overcame the odds.
Things to look forward to with Sadio:
Sadio is said to be ready for the preseason, after suffering a season ending injury, in a well won derby.
Both, Mane and the captain, who too has been laid off for some time, will be ready to join up with the team.
When he gets back, he will join up with his wingman, Mohamed Salah. This could see Mane move over to the leftwing, and Philippe Coutinho to the centre.
Meaning it would be like three new signings all over again! Something quiet attractive at the moment.
Another positive, we will not lose any of our African players to AFCON for a couple of seasons.
The game has been nothing but exciting with acquisition of Sadio. Let’s hope, with less injuries and less time away from the rest of the team, he will continue to add to the small fee we paid for him last season.