Why aren't the La Liga cnuts all over him?
Sadio Mane | Performances
- Thread starter Samid
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Cos, Hazard. La.
Didn't Messi score 2 wonder goals against Liverpool in the semi and terrorise United in the quarters?
Messi was fantastic in both games vs us in the semi-finals. I don't think I've ever seen him work so hard like he did in the first game, and he set up 3-4 really big chances in the game they lost.
Dembele's chance...
How do people reckon he stacks up against Eto’o?
Eto in his prime would wipe the floor with Mane.
He's been great, but Eto'o was better and IMO underrated in disscusions about great stikers of our time.
Fair enough I guess. I think it's a lot closer than that. The one attribute were Eto'o is the outright winner is finishing imo as he was far more lethal.
All the other attributes are pretty close I think. Mané has become an absolute menace to play against. He's relentless. You can't boot him out of a match like other flair players. He's become consistent. He has that street footballer tenacity. And I've noticed his passing has also gone up a level. He also very selfless.
They pose some similar threats in their pace, directness and off-the-ball movement. But Eto’o has a sustained track record of deciding big games, scoring decisively in two Champions League finals and winning a third with a different club.
To be fair, that's never important when talking about Ronaldo & Messi so I don't see why that's important for Eto'o vs Mane
Certainly worth highlighting in Eto’o’s case given the self-sacrificial role he played on the right for Inter adapting to the needs of the team. Not many players can succeed in that environment after being the point of the attack in a superbly creative side.To be fair, that's never important when talking about Ronaldo & Messi so I don't see why that's important for Eto'o vs Mane
He was a very versatile and tactically capable player & that's why I think as you say he is better than Mane. Covered RWB, RM, CAM & St.
Mane scored against Real and made Liverpool's first goal against Spurs. The first one wasn't decisive thanks to Karius, but after Salah went off he seemed to go up a level that day. He also hit the post when it was 2-1. His involvement in the penalty against Spurs most certainly was decisive. He knew exactly what he was doing when he won the penalty. He's street smart like Suarez that way.
I can see why the comparison to Eto'o was brought up and neither would have "wiped the floor with" or "destroyed" or "ran rings around" the other!
also an amazing header, having that big a forehead helps though
Eto doesn’t wipe the floor with him. Only thing eto is better at is finishing. Mane imposes himself on games. You can’t mark him out of the game. I bet by the time Mane is retired he would have the better legacy.
Eto'o wasn't better than Lewandowski.
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He was.
Nah. Same level
Important to note Eto'o was never the best player on a winning team. In barcelona he was sidekick to Ronaldinho and then to the Messi-Xavi-Iniesta triumvirate. At inter he won the treble sacrificing his game so that inter's two best players, Milito and Sneijder, wouldn't have to
Lewandowski is in a Bayern team that's always among the top favourites for the CL but still hasn't even got to the final with them (I know he was excellent in that run to the final with Dortmund). It's all good to light it up against minnows in Bundesliga but Eto'o was lethal against really excellent teams.
He was never the best player at Barca but he bailed them out so many times. Ronaldinho had the highlight reel but Eto'o constantly showed up for them during the crunch times.
Off the top of my head I can recall:
Late goal to sink Mourinho's Chelsea at the Bridge
Broke Arsenal's clean sheet record in the CL final. Barca were in deep trouble and couldn't score.
Turn Vidic and scored against the run of play in the 08/09 CL final. We had them on the ropes from the get-go. His goal effectively sank us.
Eto'o won a Copa del Rey with Mallorca, countless trophies(including a treble) at Barcelona under Rijkaard and Guardiola and then another Treble the very next season at Inter Milan. That was just at the club level. He also won 2 African Cup of Nations and an Olympic gold medal for Cameroon. Eto'o is one of the greatest strikers to ever play the game
Exactly. As much as I like Mane, You can't deny these accomplishments. Mane's accomplishments aren't going to be a great with his national team as Senegal despite their talent haven't done well in the AFCON and haven't been to the Olympics. Also it would be very tough for ANY player to win back to back trebles as Eto'o. Even Messi hasn't accomplished that.
The last time Lewandowski did anything worthy in the CL was 12/13 when he put 4 goals past Madrid in the Semi-Finals. He’s scored 2 goals in major international competitions (1 in Euro 2012 and 1 in Euro 2016).
He’s the Polish slightly higher level Harry Kane — a phenomenal goal getter, but when it comes to crunch time at the elitist of levels, I’d opt for alternative forwards to lead my line. Eto’o had a big game aura about him Lewa could never. Simple as, really.
Mane vs Eto’o is slightly more interesting, depending on how the next 2-3 years of Mane’s peak go.
He’s the Polish slightly higher level Harry Kane — a phenomenal goal getter, but when it comes to crunch time at the elitist of levels, I’d opt for alternative forwards to lead my line. Eto’o had a big game aura about him Lewa could never. Simple as, really.
Mane vs Eto’o is slightly more interesting, depending on how the next 2-3 years of Mane’s peak go.
This is a bonkers way of looking at it. He's scored against juventus, atletico madrid, real madrid. He's scored 11 goals in KO stages for Bayern, in 5 years. Eto'o scored 10 goals in CL ko stages over 7 years at barcelona and inter plus one at chelsea. He scored 3 goals against chelsea and twice in two finals against english teams and you remember him for that. That's all this is. Where was Eto'o in 06/07 or 07/08? The year inter won the treble he scored exactly 2 goals in CL
It's funny that people mention his big goals yet nobody seem to remember that his best season individually was in 10/11, the only time in his career in which he was the best player on a supposedly great team. They won the Italian Cup, and lost 5-2 at home to schalke in CL...
For all his obvious qualities Eto was a moody character. Not good for a team, or a manager, trying to create a strong spirit of togetherness within the club. 14 clubs in his career tells a story of a flawed genius. I wouldn't swap Mane - in his prime - for Eto at a similar stage in his respective career.
Yeah, it’s all pro-English propaganda. Big up.
Eto’o scored in finals, whilst half of Lewandowski’s knockout goals came in games against Porto and Besiktas. At the highest level of comparison between elite level forwards (which they both are), these are the nuances which matter.
Eto'o scored 5 goals against chelsea, arsenal and united, in 5 different games, in 3 different seasons. He also had 1 against Bayern, if you want to consider 10/11 bayern a big team
Lewandowski has 5 goals against real madrid, 1 against atletico and one against juventus, in 4 different games.
The entire difference between the two of them is their teams results, rather than their individual performances
I don't know if you've forgotten or you're just being intentionally misleading to win a petty argument but Eto'o in 06/07 was suffering from a bad injury, only played 1 knockout game, and won it. It was the loss without him in the team that knocked them out. And there was no doubt that Eto'o was one of the few elite forwards of his generation that could play the tireless, selfless role in Inter's treble that was essential to their success. Lewandowski obviously couldn't.
So if Eto'o at his peak could demonstrate the same goalscoring prowess at the highest level, while simultaneously being able to play a completely different role (mentally, physically, tactically), it seems odd to argue for Lewandowski when he's not only had the same success but also not displayed the same variety.
Mane hasn't done enough to be placed up with the classic African players that come to mind, IMO.
Forgot. Or rather misplaced. Not important anyways
How essential was it, really. I mean, Pandev did it just as well. Why couldn't Lewandowski? I find it more interesting and relevant that he was asked to do it in the first place. As opposed to being asked to play in his best and natural role
I don't see why "variety" (which really means playing as an extra fullback in 1 game, and a winger in 5) is relevant here. Again, the difference isn't that Eto'o could and Lewandowski can't, it's that one guy was asked to - because there was a better striker on the team and the manager wanted his team to defend a lot - and the other wasn't.
We don't talk about how good Eto'o was as a winger - because he wasn't a particularly good one, to start with - but rather his willingness to sacrifice himself into a role that wasn't his, where the best description of him was "functional", in order to help his team win. Which fair enough, it's impressive for a player of that level. But i don't see why it should matter when judging his individual ability
Many of the best teams of all time had great players playing out of position for the greater good, because you need that accumulation of exceptional players to cope with the demands of a long season, and when everyone's fit it's unlikely everyone can fit in their ideal roles. Players that are completely incapable of playing in other roles limit your ability to reach those pinnacles.
Eto'o didn't just play out wide for Inter but Barcelona too, to accommodate Ronaldinho's deficiencies in times when winning was more important than playing beautiful football. To suggest that's indicative of his own deficiencies is very misleading IMO.
He was asked to play that role because of Mourinho's limitations, that have been there his entire career. His requirements of a #9 are much more specific than most managers'. That a superstar like Eto'o can work within that is not just tactically very useful but helps facilitate a winning mentality. I'd be very surprised if anyone, Mourinho included, would argue Milito was a better player.
You sure do place a lot of value on team accomplishments. Mane just finished 4th in Ballon d'Or voting and will probably win PFA player of the year. I would say he has a very good chance to pass Eto if he keeps this up for a couple for years.
I don't disagree, but then there is playing out of position and playing an entirely different role
Always for defensive purposes. I mean, good, useful, definitely a plus. But if that's the difference between two striker, i'd say they're on the same level
It's less about deficiencies and more about importance to the team
Milito most definitely wasn't a better player. And yet that season he was. Ultimately, Mourinho decided his team didn't need Eto'o to do more than run up and down the flank and play a tactical role, and was proven correct
Playing out of position is a nice ability, but if its something you find yourself doing, it is generally because there are better players than you in the team that need to be accomodated.
Could also be because you have a stronger team ethic. An example would be Mane tracking back more than Salah generally.
Mane does have a better defensive work ethic than salah, but in this case I reckon it's just as much to do with the fact that we want Mane in position to receive the ball in the half space after recovering possession and Salah in position to get in behind the defence.
Possibly. He has broken a few of Eto'o's records.
Which ones?
Using club trophies to compare the two is a bit unfair I think. Eto was playing in top tier teams for a much longer time. Mane has been part of a setup that can challenge for top trophies for no more than 2 years.