I’VE been intrigued by the reaction of many to the signing of Sadio Mane. It’s made me ask: “What do Liverpool supporters actually want in a signing?” And: “Do some need to readjust their expectations?”
The response from many Reds since the announcement of Mane’s capture seems to be a resounding “Meh”.
I’m not suggesting we should be taking to the streets or anything, but bloody hell. He’s an extraordinarily talented footballer who, at 24 years old, still has plenty of room to develop – something Jürgen Klopp has built a reputation for successfully aiding and abetting. So why then the lack of enthusiasm?
For those that gripe about the new signing, I wonder what would be on their list of qualities that they would like to see from a new signing? I’d go with something like this:
- Ability
- Experienced but young enough to develop
- Proven quality
- Desire
There are probably a couple more tick boxes than those, but they feel like the main points that people would be bothered by.
The last few transfer windows have seen an influx of young players. So young in fact that they could easily be called inexperienced and raw. Emre Can, for example, came full of promise but he obviously still had so much to learn. Lazar Markovic could perhaps have had the same criticisms levelled at him, as would Joe Gomez if he’d not got injured so soon into the season.
Desire should be, to some extent, a given. But I suppose it’s in reference to a desire to play for Liverpool. We’ve no doubt all seen people say things like, “If Sanchez doesn’t want to play for us then screw him. The club’s bigger than one player.” We, quite rightly, want players that see Liverpool as a destination rather than a stepping stone. But will any player other than a local lad or a lifelong supporter every really do that any more?
I’m on record as being all about a positive mental attitude. There’s no point in Liverpool trying to do anything other than win the league next season. We should be looking at everyone else around us and thinking that we can batter them all. And if we don’t do that, what’s the point? That’s what the manager and the players should be thinking. It’s what the owners should be thinking and all of the backroom staff. It’s sure as hell what the supporters should be thinking.
But is it what other players are going to be thinking?
For all of the talk about Mario Götze and his decision to sit on the Bayern Munich bench rather than come to Anfield, what reason is there to swap Germany for Merseyside other than Klopp? We’re in a really great position right now and I’m more excited about the future than I have been for a long time. But is that enough to persuade a player who wants to play at the very top to head to us?
Let’s be honest, things haven’t been right at our place for some time now. Since the 2009-2010 season our league positions have been 7th, 6th, 8th, 7th, 2nd, 6th and 8th. Can you spot the outlier in there? When you strip the emotion and love you have for the club out of it, it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for a player who wants to challenge, is it?
Of course we’ve had cup finals in there, too, but does the FA Cup mean all that much any more? To say nothing of the League Cup. I can’t exactly see the likes of Gundogan and Hummels saying to their mates, “I’d love to get involved in Liverpool’s League Cup campaign, you know.”
We’re still one of the biggest clubs in the world in a lot of senses. Despite not winning the league for 26 years we’re *still* more successful than Manchester United across the board. We’ve got fans across the globe and, according to the Deloitte Football Money League for 2016, Liverpool are the ninth richest club in the world.
And yet what does any of that matter to a 20-year-old in Spain who thinks he’s got the world at his feet and wants to challenge consistently for the Premier League and Champions League trophies? Even if we did want to sign him and he wanted to come, we haven’t got the financial clout to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea for the top players’ signatures.
Sorry to go on. But all of that is linked into the Mane thing. He’s a player who wanted to come to Liverpool. He’s a player who wants to play under Klopp. He’s a player who Manchester United and Bayern were reportedly interested in, but we’ve signed him. Yet the response of our support is to scoff because we’ve signed him from Southampton?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqSpp_3ZQ8Y
He has, to all intents and purposes, got a goal-scoring ratio of one in three. Yes he’s streaky, but that’s what comes from inconsistent players. Klopp is renowned for working with players to get the very best out of them, so we really should be celebrating his signing like we would have done if Götze had come.
Yet choose not to.
People talk about the need to sign “proven quality”, but how much more proven does a player need to be? Mane has played in the Premier League so we’ve been able to watch him first hand. And if you have done then you’ll have seen a player with power, pace and a shed load of ability. He’s easily in the top 10 of players for shots, goals and assists, but some fans are acting as though we’ve re-signed Stewart Downing.
Divock Origi was not a proven player before he came to Liverpool. Neither was Mamadou Sakho or, if you want to go back that far, Sami Hyypia. There’s a clamour for “proven quality” when most of the club’s best ever signings didn’t have it.
When all of the emotion is stripped away from everything and we’re completely honest with ourselves, when we’re not trying to puff out our chests and act like the Big I Am, when we’re not afraid to admit weaknesses in case United or Everton fans jump on us, there are some home truths we all have to accept. Proven talent will, right now, almost certainly sign for loads of other clubs before they come to us. We’re not the sporting powerhouse we once were. We aren’t shopping in the designer stores right now.
But we’re still Liverpool Football Club. We’ve got Klopp as our manager. We’ve got the Kop. We’ve got a team that might not yet be proven, but that definitely has something to prove.
So up the unproven Reds.
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Good article. I said a few weeks ago we are a massive club, but not one who is currently a leading club. We need to be realistic in what type of player we will get – mainly on the points that you have made that we won’t attract top players because of our current/recent plight.
People have been moaning a bit about us being perceived at time to be a bit of a selling club at the moment, but that is where we’re at. We need the likes of a Mane and others that are prepared to come and play for us – players the manager has identified as being the right ‘fit’ – so that we can start competing properly at the top and become a leading club again.
Then, and only then, will we be the type of club that can attract and keep top players.
In the meantime, get on board and support the manager. They may not be what we think are the answer, but we need to trust Klopp’s judgement. After all, we had a pretty good last 4 months of the season (despite the cup final defeats) with a team that a few months earlier we thought was a write off!
Mane is this year’s Benteke – we were hearing exactly the same things last summer attacking many of us who didn’t want him. Sadio Mane is very streaky, didn’t score for 5 months last season and we just paid 30m for him. I don’t subscribe to the follow the manager like theory – none of our managers have covered themselves in transfer glory over the years.
The issue many of us have is that the transfer strategy of signing a few young players from abroad topped up by a mid table “marquee” signing from England each summer is something that hasn’t worked – why do we think we can keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results?
We are better than this, we aren’t Dortmund – we are a much bigger club with much more competition here in England – we seriously lack ambition in the transfer market. Fans have had enough of the same thing every summer.
To be honest I was concerned when we had signed benteke, without proper crossing wingers and thought it wouldnt work. Carol I never expected him to be a Liverpool player due to his lack of mobility and of course it was a panic buy on deadline day. But Mane signing has everything that we need signed by a manager who clearly believes in training more than transfers and who believes in his system. Klopp has been following Mane since his Austrian bundesliga days. Lets just be happy and positive for this signing. I sure am excited,,, YNWA
His inconsistency is an issue but if it wasn’t for that, this lad would be even more expensive and probably above our level. 1in3 however it is scored across the season is good numbers for a winger and better than all of our current midfielders if I’m not mistaken. I’d love to hear your suggestions of who we should be going after instead to show our ‘ambition’?
Comparing him to Benteke is simply laughable. Benteke is a good striker but totally at odds with what our team needed. Mane, for all is faults, is EXACTLY what we have been missing. Klopp has been desperate for pace out wide since his arrived.
Dead excited about Mane. If Klopp can get him firing on all cylinders a little more often, this lad will frighten the hell out of defenders.
KLOPP FEELS THE NEED, THE NEED FOR SPEED
Totally right mate….You took the words right out of my mouth.
Benteke, Caroll, Lallana and now Mane has been grossly overpaid but the club is trying to make us believe its because there are marquee signings or sth.
Players could be brought from abroad that are far better than the one we are buying from the premier league ‘lesser teams’. Its just lazy scouting from the scouting/recruitment dept.
Glad to see another fan not blindly following what others are feeding you but thinking for himself…
Well reasoned article. So called fans have got to understand where we are today and stop living in the past ( British are particularly good at this).
The only way is for Klopp to be given time to develop the team in his way.
There is no incentive for top players to come to us at present.
I think Mane could well prove a great signing, if he develops at the same rate as Lovren,Sakho,Can then the current monsters will have to eat their words.69
Absolutely spot on,, I could not believe all the moaning about us signing Sadio Mane. While here I was thinking, what a perfect signing, a klopp player, a player that we really need to execute the geggenpressing. A goal scoring/creating, wide, pacey, dribbling midfielder to cause havoc in the park the bus defenses, that we really missed last season. A player that had 35 interceptions from attacking midfield, better than any of our attacking midfielders. Alas we must stop comparing what other clubs have bought on, while be happy that we have a player to suit our style and compliment our highly technical players. YNWA
Sorry manners not monsters and Rashid is reiterating all the negatives.
If you are not happy get yourself a new club or learn to live with reality and get behind the Reds.
Good article that! Im very excited about Mane – he looks quality! Klopp WILL make him a better player! Absolutley no doubt about that! Still need a few more signings though if we wanna challenge for the league, but without European football (which is a damn shame), we can focus on the league! Why not!
David calm down and grow up a little – childhood playground chanting for another fan to get a new club is weird. How old are you fella?
Lets see who other clubs like Chelsea and United sign this summer without CL and with their clubs in disarray shall we? We can’t even use the money card anymore, no PL club is poor compared to teams in Europe and we just paid 30m for a mid table player so it’s not like we are poor.
Let’s revisit this next summer when the same arguments are made again for Nathan Redmond.
Mane finished higher than any Liverpool player in the league last season Rashid,
“I don’t subscribe to the follow the manager like theory” ???
What does this mean ?
You don’t trust Klopp?
United get Bailly for 30m….would you like him? United get Zlatan on 300k a week…would you like him? Chelsea get batshuiya for 34m…any good for you?
Where would Mane fit in that list for you???
I’m 71 Rashid and you seem to be well outnumbered from the views expressed here.
We are not Chelsea or Man U. You must realise that we simply don’t have the clout we once had in the transfer market.
Get behind the team and trust Klopp.
The difference is we all knew Benteke wouldn’t fit the team, system and style of play But that was on Rodgers…
Mane slots right in to our squad and how we play now. ‘Didnt score for 5 months,’ valid point but he’s not coming here to play striker and I’m sure he’ll be up there in terms of influencing our play and chance creation.
30 mills a bit much but given the current market and his performances/stats it is what it is.
Lets just see how he slots in first and give the guy the chance as we would if he was signed from Spain or Portugal…
I am excited to see Mane play, but my expectations are managed. And that’s the challenge that most fans suffer from.
The expectation could be that the next signing will be the SAVIOUR, but we all know it doesn’t work like that (unless you can spend £70M on one player). So Mane will be part of a team – and hopefully the sum of the parts etc.
Is he great player? I don’t think he is, will he have a positive impact and be an upgrade on what’s already there? yes I think so. Touch looks a bit heavy, but I love the way he makes Cahill look like a pub player.
Neil often points out we could do with signing 2 belters – I think that’s easier said then done given our position. To do that may be we have to move up the next level and Mane may be part of that.
I’m looking forward to seeing Bobby F after his first season, Coutinho needs to become the superstar he threatens to become. I’m still concerned with strikers – was watching 13/14 video and the difference in Studge’s physicality is remarkable. Origi shouldn’t be burdened with it all if we can help it – and Ings needs to show what he’s got.
Overall though – happy that we’ve got Mane – and more importantly Klopp wanted him (regardless of committee). If he returns 15 goals next year from positions other than central striker – he’s worth it.
I agree with much you have to say. Too much negativity to a player who’s not even kicked a ball yet with us. The problem is everyone wants someone like Sanchez/Reus/Griezman but the brutal truth is we can’t attract these players now. In my opinion we have the next best thing in Mane. He’s maybe not at these 3 level but certainly has been 1 of the best attackers. We know he’s more of a proper winger who can cut in or stay wide and deliver decent crosses & assists and beat defenders with his pace. He can play either flank but is also very good in a central position playing behind the main striker. He managed double figure goals in the Premiership 2 seasons in row which is great for someone who’s no a striker. I believe Klopp can even improve him like he did with Reus. The 2 points I will say are I agree with Phil Thompson we overpaid for him but can be pivotal signing for us as he adds much needed pace, goals and a more direct player. The other point is for me he should not be considered a replacement for Benteke as Mane is NOT a striker.
We still are being linked to Lucas Moura who us talented but a bit inconsistent but I would be happy to see him aswell meaning more attacking options and we don’t want to make the mistake England did only having 1 winger in the squad. Ibe’s future is a bit up in the air, Ojo needs to develop and Markovic will surely be off.
If expected Benteke & Balotelli to leave then I would love to see a really good striker come in. Again guys like Lewandoski/Aubameyang/Higuain are out of our reach cause of their fees and wages. So we go for the next best thing – Alexandre Lacazette. I think a bit like Suarez & Torres was is ready for a new challenge and step up. Despite not being in the France has been exceptional. West Ham are keen and it looks like Arsenal are sniffing round after being rejected by Vardy!! Similar fee to Mane, Lacazette would slot in nicely.
Mane Moura and Lacazette would complete out attack complimented with the rest of the squad.
Very good article and much more elquontly echoes my thoughts!
The issue I have about those complaining about this signing is that i am yet to hear an analytic reason why he is the wrong signing. With Benteke, there were lots of people critiquing his playing style as being unsuited, i.e him requiring a certain style of play to be maximise his ability, not to mention apprehensions of his pace and movement (post achilles injury). With Mane it’s the Southampton connection or paying too much, nothing at all to do with his actual ability!
As Adam mentioned in his article, the characteristics of Mane’s game are exactly what’s missing from our squad. He has pace, power, directness, off the ball running, getting past the striker and goals from wide. His work rate is immense, as well as his experience at playing in one of the most high press teams you’ll see (Red Bulls Salzburg under Roger Schmidt) . Add to this he is a couple of months older than Cou, and I have no idea what the heck anyone is complaining about!!
In my view this signing makes a lot more sense than Gotze. Don’t get me wrong I really like Gotze, but the make-up of a successful team is the combination of a characteristics that give the opposition too much to mitigate. At this moment in time, the guile and dribbling ability of Gotze is comparable to Cou. The team for all its inventively last season was one paced, hence why Origi made such a difference, so the ability to put on a wide player that the likes of Cou and Firmino can play through seems an absolute no brainer!!!
These days LFC seems to be buying players from ‘lower’ teams in the EPL for ridiculously high prices and try to convince us that these are our marquee signings…This is hilarious…
Benteke was signed for a similar ridiculous fee of 32.5million and journo and all people at the club were trying to justify this silly signing by showing us his goal scoring stats or telling us how he wont need any period of adaptation compared to the real world class players (abroad) that we could have got with the same amount of money. These are just excuses by fools running the club and trying to dupe us the fans into accepting their silliness as reality.
Benteke, Caroll, lallana and now Mane are no marquee signings no matter how much the club bought them. They just stupidly overpaid, period! Also the excuse that buying players from the premier league for expensive fees is a better strategy than buying cheaper players from abroad because the latter need period of adaptation while the former hit the ground running, is pure bullsh!t logic! Suarez did not need any ‘adaptation period’ despite the fact he was from abroad. Martial who was bought from france by manure never needed any adaptation period either. Ironically its those same players brought from the premier league itself by LFC who seem to be needing adaptaion time. Caroll never adapted and was shipped out after one season. Benteke similarly is a big flop and will probably by shipped out if we find some club stupid enough to take such dross away…
But the transfer fee and wages that are being thrown around, due to all the media revenue money.. No-one really knows whats the actual fee of a player anymore. Just take the example of Croatian Pjaca. As soon as his club came to know that PL team (i.e Liverpool ) need him, his transfer fee was increased from 14 mil euros to 20 mil euros. Hope you know what i mean. I am just worried that with a possible news that 20 of the PL teams going to be in top 30 list of richest clubs of world, premier league is gonna explode with transfer fees. Hope we dont lose the passion of the players completely and it could be more like a millionnaire celebrities without any passion league..YNWA
If we’d bought the 2nd best goalkeeper in Germany for 30M, and a guy who was named in the best team of Bundesliga as a defender for 30M. Add to that a bloke who is a proper winger for 30M, no-one would be saying we lack ambition. (Rashid)
There’s just no pleasing some people. “Run Forest, Run”
Supporters aren’t scouts. We cant afford exciting signings. We are mid table. Futility is a supporter naming players he wants.
So signings have to prove themselves. Especially coming from other mid table/bottom half clubs.
The expectation of signings being “exciting” harks back to the pre-FSG days when we used to win things. Its just a hang over, an outmoded way of thinking.
If Mane proves good, bangs in 25, and gets sold on next season for £85m, great. Another good year for business.
define exciting signing….what does that even mean?
“Exciting” players are players who excite the amateur pundits and managers who fucking bore you stupid.
fans who simply want exciting signings, big names etc are simply MOTD experts who actually know fuck all.
The problem with Liverpool in recent times is that a lot of our actual signings have felt like they’ve been scouted by fans watching motd:
– ‘Adam, Carroll and Downing have scored against us this season… I’m sure they’ll be just as good for us and fit in with the type of footy Suarez plays.’
– ‘That Benteke always scores against us playing a certain way for Villa. Let’s just get him in; he’s a good enough player to completely change his game to play to Coutinho’s strengths.’
We’ve been saying for years how hard it is to achieve in the face of greater financial muscle when we’ve wasted so many millions and now Leicester have won a league. Just stop looking for excuses and be better, Liverpool.
The good news is is that as overpriced Liverpool signings from other teams in the league go, Mane looks more like he suits the style like Lallana and Clyne do as opposed to the Charlie Adams or Borinis of years past.
I’m still not massively excited by him mind. That’ll come after he’s sprinted in behind Arsenal’s defence faster than Usain Bolt and burst the net first game of the season :)
Futility is the manager making a signing and people writing them off before they’ve played a game.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Try it. You might like it.
Forget the fee and the club he’s been signed from. This lad brings things we’ve been lacking – pace, workrate, movement and goals. People talk about consistency as if it’s something that’s intrinsic. It’s not (for most), it’s something that can and does develop in the right conditions. At 24 there’s room for him to improve exponentially.
Great signing.
To me Mane looks like a proper footballer – Pace, power and skill. I think Klopp will turn him in to a superstar by adding consistency and improve Mane’s tactical awareness.
Are they moaners or are they just not dancing from the rooftops for a player who likely will be seen in a completely different light this time next year?
Many said the same about Benteke last summer and were called out for being moaners…not giving him a chance and all that.
If you don’t think someone is that good, you should be able to say that without being questioned on how loyal you are…not saying you are doing that.
I think most people were (worryingly at the time) in a collective agreement that Benteke seemed an odd match,
Oddly, Manes signing has seemed to encourage a lot more vitriol.
Tis indeed odd, as all i remember from last season regarding Mane, was that it was only a matter of time before he signed for a bigger club.
I never heard anyone say he was crap or not good enough. Does anyone know what his injury record is like ?
Guys,
Daniel Sturridge mentioned it a couple weeks ago that we have not yet replace Sterling and Suarez.
I view this transfer as not only a replacement but an improvement on Sterling in terms of speed, strength and finishing ability. Manè is not only rapid and strong but he can finish which is something that all Liverpool supporters, and football fans in general, have always questioned Sterling about. For all the kids good work he unfortunately cannot strike a football and does not possess the temperament to complete cute finishes.
How is it that everyone is complaining about selling a very raw and limited Sterling for £50M and buying an almost identical but more complete player for £30M considered bad business?
I for one think the transfer market has become a bit of a waste of time but I personally cannot wait to see this kid tearing down the flanks with Coutinho and Firmino supplying him. Make no mistake, this injection of speed supported by the aforementioned talent, along with Sturridge/Origi will put the fear of God into defences.
#BackOurBoys
What this article (conveniently) leaves out is that it’s this kind of ‘more authentic than thou’ proselytizing that put the club in a situation where it can’t attract any players that big clubs want.
It was your ilk who branded those who objected to Carroll, Downing (he was the real dagger), Lambert, Lallana, Benteke, etc as ‘FM fantasists’ and jumped about in glee about as the club fell down the league.
You’ve run into the middle of the motorway despite huge amounts of people telling you not to, now you demand a solution from those some people who warned against the course of action that has led to your current situation.
Sooner or later you’re going to have to look at yourselves instead of playing your little games of emperors new clothes with each other and telling anyone who will listen that your cult of mediocrity can’t fail, it can only be failed due to insufficient devotion from the rest of the fan base.
Fwiw I think Mane is a decent player but at the same time the anger is justified.
To answer the question, I wanted the same player the manager did – Leroy Sane.