Why Liverpool Couldn’t Cope Without Mane
The reds were always going to miss Mane. Weren’t they?
Liverpool had an impressive first half to the 2016–17 campaign. The Reds sat second on the table till week 20 with 44 points, courtesy of their ingenious front five. Goals were flowing through and unlike the previous seasons, it wasn’t a one-man show.
However, one player who was key for Liverpool’s success was Sadio Mane. The Senegalese joined Liverpool from Southampton last summer and immediately fit into Klopp’s gegenpressing system. His blistering pace and skills gave Liverpool a whole new dimension and proved to be an invaluable asset for Liverpool’s attacking line, particularly against the teams employing “park the bus” strategy.
The 24-year-old scored nine goals and assisted a further five, contributing 27% of the Red’s goal tally. His absence in January was always going to be crucial for Liverpool, and it did as Klopp’s men could only register one win in a jammed-pack January.
Liverpool failed to fill in the “Mane-shape” void and here are the reasons why.
No Transfer Activity
Prior to the transfer window, Liverpool was linked with various wingers as a potential to replace Mane. From the Dutch international Quincy Promes to Dortmund starlet Christian Pulisic, the reds were linked to numerous players.
However, the Reds had a rather silent transfer window. Liverpool manager Klopp expressed his frustration, the German was quoted saying,”It is not that we don’t want to bring players in. We do. But the thing is, the players we want because we think they help us, the clubs don’t sell. It is not about money in this situation. It is the winter transfer window. Clubs are saying ‘No, we have half a year to go, we cannot find another player like this, we prefer to take money in the summer than a few pounds more in the winter than whatever. So it is pretty easy. You see the situation. It’s tight, it’s close, we know that, but if the right decision is not possible in signing the right player, then you cannot make the wrong transfer.”
Mane had provided Liverpool some serious versatility and replacing him was never going to be easy. With Klopp’s adamance to sign a player who could offer competition to the Senegalese and the transfer window situation, it never looked like the transfer window for Liverpool.
Congested Schedule
January was always going to be a hectic month for the Reds. The Reds had to play eight matches, including crucial matches like EFL Cup semi-finals against Southampton and Premier League clash against their rivals United.
The Reds ended potentially season-defining January with just one win under their belt- which came against Plymouth in the third round replay in the FA Cup. The League Two side Plymouth Argyle earned themselves a replay at Home Park, making the month more grueling for Klopp’s men. Liverpool drew two and lost one in the Premier League which has put them ten points behind the leaders Chelsea. Staying in top four now looks a challenging task for the Reds.
January saw Klopp’s men thrown out of the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. However, it might prove to be a blessing in disguise for the reds as they can now focus on the Premier League.
Tactical Fiasco
Replacing the wideman was never going to be a bludge. Jurgen Klopp tried various options in the front three in absence of Sadio Mane. The German had various options up his sleeve, however putting Lallana in the front three proved to be a failure. The 28-year-old who had been employed as a midfielder since the beginning of the Premier League was able to provide the attacking fluidity, his pace acting as a constant hindrance.
OPTIONS TRIED WITHOUT MANE:
Lallana-Sturridge-Firmino
Firmino-Origi-Lallana
Coutinho-Firmino-Lallana
Coutinho-Sturridge-Firmino
A dip in form at the crucial stage of the season made it worse for Liverpool. While Sturridge was in poor touch, Firmino who had been Liverpool’s best centre-forward this season was visibly frustrated playing in the wide position. Midfielder Emre Can and Wijnaldum didn’t offer any sort of creativity going forward. The return of the star man Philippe Coutinho wasn’t much of a help for the reds as the Brazilian was unable to find his rhythm in both the games he was featured in.
Whatever the plan was for the crucial fixtures without Mane, it didn’t work.
