Oh no, Sadio!

To be honest, I’m a little surprised by this. I always thought Mane would remain a formidable attacker even late in his career, like George Weah. But objectively you could see the decline in his last season here already - maybe he needs to move to Italy to prolong his career at the top.

 

Unfortunately, this is the way for players who leave Klopp's Liverpool

 

He looked pretty good before the pre World cup injury though. You'd hope for his sake that he can regain his form but as you say he should probably have moved to Spain or Italy.

 

And also those who continue to play for him.

 

They’ve clearly done a Liverpool. Bought someone that played really well against them despite that maybe not being a fair reflection of the player overall. Mane was obviously a fantastic player but largely spent as an explosive winger by the time they landed him. Correct decision on our part for a change.

 

TBF I don't think it was on our part. He wanted to go

 

The only players who’ve left us in recent years and gone on to better things are the ones who weren’t getting a game. Even then, they’ve just played more, not achieved more (eg Danny Ings).
I think we underestimate Klopp as a coach sometimes, and how his system has got more out of players than other teams would have done. A lot of our players would look ordinary in other sides, as the likes of Coutinho have found out.
Suarez and Sterling were probably the last ones who went on to better things.
That said, I’d still back Sadio to come good, but age is against him.

 

Pretty difficult for a Liverpool regular to leave and go on to achieve more....we were at the top of our game before this season, then again there aren't many who have left as we intend to keep them all until their 93.

Gini left and stunk the place out before getting injured.
Emre Can pretty much started where he left off (neither better or worst)
Coutinho abject fail.
Origi another who's failed but he wasn't playing much.
Grujic done well but hardly played either.
Solanke done ok at championship level where his level is.

Who else has left?

 

Adam Lallana. He's doing alright, isn't he? Not better, just the same.

 

Yeah, he looked good initially at Bayern, but it quickly became apparent that he doesn’t have the pace to be an explosive winger anymore, so he had to be shifted to the middle, which suited him better, but hurt Bayern’s attacking play. Klopp was faced with the same problem and had to do the same tactical switch in the last few month of Sadio’s LFC career, but maybe did a somewhat better job than Nagelsmann at integrating him at the false 9 position (or maybe it was an easier task since we’ve normally played with a false 9 under Klopp, while Bayern’s system heavily depends on a target man up front).

In any case, now Mane looks like a man without a position at Bayern - they are actually better with Chupo-Moting up front and younger/faster players on the wings. It’s hard to see him turning it around and surely it doesn’t make sense for the manager to rejig the whole system to suit a player wrong side of 30. I still love Sadio and hope he can find a way to stay at the top of his game for as long as possible - but it probably won’t be at Bayern.

 

Does he even play?

 

I don't see it as any surprise. He'd looked past his best for a while at LFC and I can't help but feel Bayern bought the player he was rather than the one he is now, perhaps influenced a little bit by the WC success and his brief resurgence last season.

He was never going to replace Lewandowski as the spearhead for their attack and they've got younger, faster and better options out wide.

 

Yeah, agreed. I think Bayern and Nagelsmann thought they were getting the explosive left forward Mane who were unplayable for us. Complementing Sane, Gnabry, Coman and fitting in with their wing play. The change of position isnt working out for him.

 

They actually have TOO MANY wingers and no strikers other than Chupo-Moting. Looks like at least Gnabry will be forced to leave as he’s not getting sufficient playing time.

 

Only 1 thing left to do........BRING HIM HOMEEEEEEEEE.

We could do with another left sided forward.

 

Player gets older, his performance worsens and is not the same ability wise as he was in his mid 20s shocker.

 

Hatrick against Citeh incoming

 

We broke another one, I guess.

 

But but but now sports science and well into their 30s or something.

 

Not sure what Bayern were expecting, TBH. They paid peanuts and many of the issues they're speaking about where largely apparent in his last 2 years for us. There was a resurgence in form down the middle, but that repositioning only came about because of his physical decline in terms of pace and explosiveness to play the wider roles effectively.

It's like Liverpool acting surprised that Thiago breaks down 2-3 times a year.