Sadio Mané

[Mark79]

80-20

90-10 to me and I’ll warn you when Jaco tries to sneak up on you in a dark alleyway.

[Doc_Piptorious]

80-20

In your favour?

Done and I will kick Pepe a few times for you

[Doc_Piptorious]

90-10 to me and I’ll warn you when Jaco tries to sneak up on you in a dark alleyway.

I don't sneak up on people, I go head on. No fun if they do not see you coming.

[Mark79]

In your favour?

Done and I will kick Pepe a few times for you

He’s not negotiating with you. You’re already in agreement.

Just leave the muscle in the car next time Buzzo, yeah?

[Mark79]

I don't sneak up on people, I go head on. No fun if they do not see you coming.

Yeah I will, but I will be like a New York mugger. If you cannot see me coming you deserve the mugging.

What is this, Dissociative identity disorder to go along with the tendency for violence?

[Doc_Piptorious]

He’s not negotiating with you. You’re already in agreement.

Just leave the muscle in the car next time Buzzo, yeah?

I just want to squabble with you

[Doc_Piptorious]

What is this, Dissociative identity disorder to go along with the tendency for violence?

That is a horrible thing to say. At least one of me is offended by it.

[danperkins]

Lethal in the middle, worked his bollox off in the 2nd half too.

[Buzzo]

Need to get his contract sorted. He’s been incredible since the Afcon.

[danperkins]

Yeah it's absolutely vital

[Buzzo]

The Athletic.

Sadio Mane’s new contract should be a priority for Liverpool after keeping title hopes alive


By James Pearce

There was a bear hug from his appreciative manager and a playful headlock.

No sooner had Sadio Mane broken free, Robbie Fowler was waiting at the mouth of the tunnel to embrace him warmly. Two legendary Liverpool attackers united in delight. Mutual respect abounded.

Here was another priceless contribution for Mane’s bulging collection. “Yeah, very good goal by the way,” he smiled as he watched his exquisite header from Luis Diaz’s inviting cross on the TV screen while conducting his media duties alongside captain Jordan Henderson.

Two seasons ago, Mane’s dramatic late winner at Villa Park helped propel Jurgen Klopp’s side to Premier League glory. The scenes of jubilation were wild.

This time around he took centre stage in the Midlands once again to ensure that the title race is going down to the final week. If the weekend draw with Tottenham seriously dented Liverpool’s challenge, a gutsy victory over Aston Villa sent a clear message to Manchester City that this battle isn’t over. Their resolve hasn’t been broken. They won’t give up the chase.

Klopp had demanded a show of fight and Mane epitomised the qualities that helped Liverpool rally after a nightmare start when Douglas Luiz fired Villa in front. “Sadio is a machine,” Klopp said. “His physicality is brutal. I like his mix of technique, desire and then physicality. Top goal — fantastic, world-class player.”

What Mane also possesses currently is belief in abundance. It has grown and grown since the ecstasy of leading his country to Africa Cup of Nations glory in February.

Before being named player of the tournament, he had scored 10 goals in his first 26 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions this season — short of his xG (expected goals) of 12.3. His shot conversion rate was 14 per cent and he was averaging a goal every 205 minutes. His form was patchy.

In 22 matches since AFCON he has netted 12 goals — exceeding his xG of 10.6. His shot conversion rate has leapt to 25 per cent and he’s been averaging a goal every 133 minutes. He’s gone to the next level.

It’s not just the weight of goals, but the importance of them that has been so pivotal in Liverpool maintaining a challenge on all fronts.

There was the winner in the league game against West Ham, the precious equaliser in the 2-2 draw with City at the Etihad and the classy double which defeated Pep Guardiola’s side in last month’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. In the Champions League, he scored away to Benfica in the quarter-finals and repeated the trick in both legs of the semi-final against Villarreal.

Mane is such a versatile footballer. Having played on the right when he first arrived at Anfield in 2016, he switched to the left to accommodate Mohamed Salah and since the signing of Diaz in January he’s been reinvented as a No 9. Whether operating with his back to goal or bursting in behind, the 30-year-old has the skillset to flourish.

His latest goal to really resonate was a beauty. It was classic Liverpool, as they pounced to create something out of nothing. There were just 11 seconds between Villa taking a throw-in on the halfway line and the ball flying past Emiliano Martinez. Thiago won back possession, Diogo Jota fed Diaz down the left and his delivery was expertly dispatched into the far corner by Mane. Incisive and devastating in equal measure. It moved Mane clear of the great Ian St John and into 14th place on the club’s list of all-time scorers on 119.


Mane’s header continued his fine form since winning the Africa Cup of Nations (Photo: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Klopp’s gamble of making five changes ultimately paid off. The only downside on the night was the sight of Fabinho being replaced in the first half after complaining of discomfort in his hamstring — a major scare before Saturday’s FA Cup final with Chelsea at Wembley.

Salah was the indisputable driving force for Liverpool in the first half of this season with Jota as the support act. However, as the Egyptian’s output has waned — he has only scored twice in his past 13 outings and struggled again off the bench at Villa Park — Mane and Diaz have stepped up to provide the inspiration. With 22 goals to his name, Mane is only two behind Salah now if you take penalties out of the equation.

Recent speculation that Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic had held talks with Mane’s agent Bjorn Bezemer about a possible summer move to the Allianz Arena has been dismissed by sources in both camps.

It’s understood their meeting in Mallorca last week was to discuss other matters, including Bayern’s Serge Gnabry and RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer, who are also clients of Bezemer’s Roof agency.

However, it would be a major surprise if Bayern and other elite clubs across Europe weren’t keeping a close eye on Mane’s contract situation. Like Salah, he’s about to enter his final year.

Liverpool intend to hold further talks about extensions at the end of the season. The desire to ensure the focus remains solely on the pursuit of trophies until the end of May is understandable given what’s at stake. They don’t want any distractions, the players included.

Still, a new deal for Mane should be rocketing up the to-do list of Julian Ward, who is poised to take over as sporting director from Michael Edwards. Klopp wants him to stay and Mane has proved beyond doubt that he has so much left to offer.

“Sadio’s performances are always incredible,” Henderson said. “The work he does for the team off the ball, winning the ball back high up, and he’s quality around the box.”

Continue in the same vein and Mane will be a serious contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or, especially if he picks up the big prizes with Liverpool to add to his exploits at international level. Currently, he’s Klopp’s most potent weapon.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Need to get his contract sorted. He’s been incredible since the Afcon.

Did he not say in an interview a month or two ago that all contract talks in relation to himself would be held in the summer and not before, and that he wanted no distractions during the season?

Seem to recall him saying something like that.

Think the journos are just trying to make a suggestion of a story where there is none presently.

[Buzzo]

Did he not say in an interview a month or two ago that all contract talks in relation to himself would be held in the summer and not before, and that he wanted no distractions during the season?

Seem to recall him saying something like that.

Think the journos are just trying to make a suggestion of a story where there is none presently.

Yeah that us alluded to in the above article.

[Irishnev]

Mane’s agent trying to drum up some noise

[ame="https://twitter.com/cfbayern/status/1526938636113035272"]https://twitter.com/cfbayern/status/1526938636113035272[/ame]

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1529456672032403457[/ame]