Aren't all strikers erratic?
We Need To Talk About Mane
- Thread starter KingMinger22
- Start date
You don't want your striker to hide and not show up for balls and then play passes out of play when he does.
Can't stand the guy. Thinks he's the dogs, plays ok that's it for me.
All strikers go through games like that, even the very best ones. They play in the worst conditions on the pitch and sometimes defenders get them to have bad games. Also in general strikers aren't as technically gifted as players that aren't strikers but don't play in the back line. You'd be surprised by the amount of times Suarez gets called a donkey on here. Look at the match Mbappe had vs us. Lewa was called all things under the sun yesterday. You get very few strikers who are 'amazing footballers' (Romario, Van Persie etc)
I just assumed that was because of his bucktooth arm-eating grin, not because of a perceived lack of technical ability
But no, there is probably nothing inherently unfitting about his qualities and his inconsistencies with regards to the striker position compared with other strikers. I just think you wouldn't really want him as a striker if he is out of form due to that, but I wouldn't see him on the wing either in that form so it is sort of a moot point I guess.Mané always reminded me of Nani but he should surpass him soon, if he hasn't already.
Has been great recently. It looks like him and Salah never play well at the same time though. When one of them is in form, the other fades a little bit.
I just assumed that was because of his bucktooth arm-eating grin, not because of a perceived lack of technical ability
Mané always reminded me of Nani but he should surpass him soon, if he hasn't already.
also that but his ability is called into question a fair amount in the match day threads. That despite him having a great all round game. People generally underestimate the trials and tribulations strikers face on the regular. Mane at this point is way better than what we saw from Nani. Isn't half as frustrating for starters.
Was that Paul Mitchell guy the technical director at Southampton when they brought together all these players? Van Dijk, Mane, Wanyama, Tadic. 4 key players in champions league quarter finals came through there.
I don't think mane's contribution ever fades. If he is not scoring or assisting he is working his ass off to win the ball, press, pounce on every loose ball and second balls, make dangerous runs between defense and mid with a energy like Ji sung park.
He had been pretty selfish at one point and trying to force everything on his own.
They have swapped the roles a little bit recently and Salah becomes the one who is trying to force it on his own.
He is contender for player of the season. To me he is a bit underrated.
Also known as the Demba Ba-Cisse Syndrome.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...negal-most-humble-footballer-of-all-time/amp/
Fairplay chap.. Guys still rocking a iPhone7 - my niece has a better phone
His form has totally fallen off a cliff. Is it tiredness or was his previous form not his true level?
Has been remarkably poor this season.
Him, Salah, TAA, Robertson, Firminho have all looked shite this season. Tough to pin point how much is on a player and how much is the squad dynamic or confidence when it's that systemic across the dressing room.
Aye, agreed but I think Firmino has looked shite for a long time now and although Salah is nowhere near what he was, his numbers are good. Mane just looks totally useless at the moment and isn't offering anything. I think Liverpool would be in a better position if Jota hadn't got injured as I feel he would have replaced Firmino.
I think the likes of Salah and TAA have at least shown more flickers of their previous selves over the season. Salah is still competing for PL top scorer, for example, whereas Mane is currently on 7 goals (where he was averaging 20 PL goals a season over the previous two seasons). Even Firmino arguably deserves to be starting ahead of him now that Jota is back.
In a season of underperforming players for them there have been few if any bigger culprits.
No idea if it’s covid side effects or fatigue/too many games over the past few years.
Probably a combination of all of the above, I mean I don’t think you can call his previous form not his true level given he was in that form for years. It has been a Torres like rapid decline though. He started the season on fire and ever since that period out with covid he plays like he’s aged 10 years. It’s baffling, and best case scenario is a summer break will sort it out, worst case is he’s accelerated in to an early decline.
I think it's harsh to say his previous form wasn't his true level, he's been one of the best players in the league for the last 4 years.
His form is definitely worrying though, a summer off will help and I think at his age he still has a fair few seasons to give and he'll be back up there next season.
You mentioned Jota's injury being a blow for Liverpool and I think that definitely hindered things, with so many players who were out of form there wasn't much opportunity to shake things up. It was noticeable the other day in the Arsenal game that when Jota came on he instantly bought a new dynamic to the team.
Does he have a lot of mileage on the clock for his age, a bit like Rooney?
Talented player who has been a guaranteed starter at the clubs he’s been with, week in week out.
Salah has carried their attack this season, he probably only played better in his 1st season.
Apologies, I wasn't stating that it wasn't his true level - I was more asking the question. I didn't really mean it in a disparaging way either, but Klopp can clearly elevate players to play at another level and has done so throughout his career. We're talking about a player that finished 4th in the Ballon D'Or in 2019 (I think) looking less than half the player he did.
Good point too re: COVID - I had totally forgotten he contracted it. I have a friend who runs marathons who caught COVID. He had very little symptoms when he had it, but he's really struggling to run any decent distances since, and has complained of tiredness. So that could well be a factor but I think his form had dipped prior to that.
It’s possible, but Rooney started playing PL at 16 and Mane only came from Austria 7 years ago. I find hard to believe he’s already burned out. My best bet is he’s just having a shit season like a few of his teammates.
Not that I can see, but he’s been pretty non stop for us game in game out over the last 5 years. Not to mention his country too. He’s hardly ever rested or rotated because we simply didn’t have the squad depth ala city.
It is also the same age Sanchez fell off a cliff, personally I’m just hoping he needs a long rest as he started the season on fire and in the same vein as last. I keep asking myself he surely can’t be this shot all of a sudden it’s got to be a long covid but who knows.
Yeah could be Covid, Pogba said it took months for him to feel right/fit when playing games.
I’m not sure when Mane got it but then it lasts differing amounts of time in the system for each person I suppose.
That makes sense re covid, his form hadn’t really dipped prior to that though. It genuinely only became apparent once he returned from Covid. We also just don’t know how much it affects elite sportsmen, some have been fine others have struggled. Klopp can elevate players but a little bit is also the team is struggling with no first pick centre halves and the captain. We’re not pushed up the field, we can’t pen teams in and we don’t get the overlapping full backs because any team can kill the CB pairings we have. Hell it was a freak game but villa managed it with them too.
I think a number of things have gone against us and the players themselves, but the main thing I’m seeing is just a lack of the power pace and intensity we had as an advantage over other teams which is now gone. Also other teams have suffered, we just have an unfortunate injury situation concentrated in one area that we didn’t fix. Even given those things we did okay without VVD but losing Matip and Gomez I just look at the stats and we’ve fallen off a cliff when one of them isn’t playing.
Oh yeah I knew how you meant it, and it's fair question, it's not unusual for a player to fluctuate through their career and have a batch of seasons significantly better than the rest of their seasons, or a player who peaks and then regresses quickly. You're right as well about a manager doing wonders for a player, Klopp is one of those who when he gets certain players who fit his system everyone benefits from it and hit levels that in a different system they wouldn't.
I can't fully come to a prediction about how Liverpool will do as a whole next season. Part of me thinks with Gomez Matip and VVD back it'll be a massive confidence boost and it'll be a bit of a reset, and the whole squad will up their levels. But as you and others have said in this thread, it's not just Mane who's been off, there's a fair few players who have been mediocre to poor. Firmino was good today but has been off for ages, TAA has been run ragged and targeted, Thiago has insane individual quality but has struggled to adapt, the CB backups haven't been great which has meant until recently Fabinho has had to play in defence so they've missed him in midfield. I think in part they're just waiting for the season to end for a clean start. I know it's a tricky balance but I don't always think Klopp is the best when it comes to rotation either, there's definitely a sluggish feel to a lot of their play this season (which to be fair is true of a lot of teams, I just think it's more noticeable when it comes to Klopp and his system). A lot of domino effects and the players have wilted.
I think there is going to be a lot of pressure on Liverpool next season to get back to their previous level.
I’ve thought for a while that Mane looks shot physically. He had COVID so it’s entirely possible his athleticism has been impacted negatively. I’ve noticed he seems to come off second best in 50/50 challenges which used to be one of his strengths.
It’s different to Firmino imo, who has simply got worse over time.
Salah doesn’t always play well but he’s on 28 goals for the season. 19 in the league. Hard to be overly critical of him based on that.
It’s different to Firmino imo, who has simply got worse over time.
Salah doesn’t always play well but he’s on 28 goals for the season. 19 in the league. Hard to be overly critical of him based on that.
He lost his inhaler down the back of the couch.
Class player. Such a dive in form. Is he just wrecked like everyone else?
Class player. Such a dive in form. Is he just wrecked like everyone else?
It's covid la!
OR maybe Klopp has run Liverpool into the ground like he always does with his teams.
OR maybe Klopp has run Liverpool into the ground like he always does with his teams.
The front three are all pushing towards 30.
I've said it for a while. They need to start freshening the squad up.
I've said it for a while. They need to start freshening the squad up.
Bang on. The squad is starting to run its course, not just due to age but also due to motivational stagnation and tactics. Years of intense pressing and a busy schedule have left a mark on some of these players.
It certainly looks like way to me.
One of Sir Alex's best skills was rebuilding teams and making tough decisions when he felt they needed to be made. This Liverpool team needs freshening up and a few of the originals need moving on to keep things new and people on their toes.
He tried. He got them Jota to fill in for the front three. Hard to give up on a team that got you the UCL then the PL
Liverpool do really need to freshen it up. Is the money there though? Have they signed Konate? Himself VVD would be a scary enough partnership. One more forward and that could get them through for another season.
I have said this in the CL match thread but the guy has just became an awful footballer.
I can't see any other big club touching him. He'll probably stay in Liverpool for few more years before returning to mid table Premier League.
Great player back in his day but he has declined massively and I don't think it's going to stop any time soon.
I can't see any other big club touching him. He'll probably stay in Liverpool for few more years before returning to mid table Premier League.
Great player back in his day but he has declined massively and I don't think it's going to stop any time soon.
I would have taken him over Salah a year ago. Now it’s not close
He’s having a poor season, agreed, but I refuse to believe he’s become an awful footballer after getting 18 goals and 7 assists just last season.
It's probably a similar case to Alexis Sanchez, Mane played the 2019 African Cup of Nations all the way to the final, the year before he played in the World Cup, he played nearly every game for Liverpool then, they didn't rotate the front 3 at all as they got to the Champions League final in consecutive seasons. All while playing a high press, high intensity game.
It's no surprise in that context that he's dropped off, especially when you consider also that he's won the Champions League and Premier League. Where's the incentive to push it to the next limit at 29 years old? Liverpool have had bad luck with injuries but they've also struggled with players reaching the summit and not having the hunger to do it all over again. Klopp probably needs to clear out a few big name players if possible, like Ferguson did on various occasions, to freshen it up.