Sadio Mane

Anyone worried about him? A few of us mentioned it in match thread but no league goal since October is very worrying and he seems a shadow of his former self. Can't see United coming in for him at this rate but what do we think the issue is? Surely it's longer than a poor stretch of form now? Only 3 PL goals this season is very disappointing or were we expecting too much?

 

Not me, I think I'll let other people do the worrying for me

 

Disappointed. Thought he'd be a proper menace this year, then leave for big money. Not only has his form been crap, but his attitude has been poor. No excuse for that.

 

Fully agree, I think he is sulking because we wouldn't sell him in the summer and again last month.
Like most footballers he isn't bright enough to think that by continuing to play like he is won't get him the move he thinks he deserves and the £125k a week his agent is demanding from possible suiters.

 

He started brightly enough this season....I don't think his form is down to attitude. It is just one of those things....suggests that whilst a good player, he isn't consistent enough to be a great player. I suspect teams interested in him are watching carefully.

 

I think that he is a class player with the ability to rip up the league on his game, unfortunately he does seem to have a lackadaisical side to his nature, which I'm sure is natural and not intentional. All players go through lean periods, witness Harry Kane at the start of the season, and i'm sure that he will come good soon.

 

He hasn't scored, but I haven't noticed any lack of effort. There have been quite a few games where he's been among our busiest players, and were it not for some woeful finishing he should have more assists.

He sometimes dribbles into walls, and doesn't make the best decisions. But he's always had that problem.

Basically, I think this is yet another load of BS. Mane has gone from "We shouldn't even sell him for 50m" to "meh, I doubt anyone even wants him" this season. No one was complaining about Mane 2 or 3 games ago.

We lose, someone has an off-game and that player immediately cost us the match and has a bad attitude to boot. It doesn't even make any sense. But rather than when the facts don't fit the theory, people just decide that it can't be them that's wrong... it's that Mane isn't smart enough to figure out what to do.

The guy apparently has trouble showing up on time. That's a problem. But to me he still looks like he's working pretty hard (if not always effectively) on the pitch. And that the supposed attitude problems and complaining on this forum are not related to anything he does, but rather how the team performs.

 

I think some of us had unrealistic expectations of the guy. Yes he's talented but he's also very raw. I don't think he's disinterested and I do think he'll come good, but he's the sort of player who will probably continue to delight and frustrate in equal measure. Bit like Shane Long, and I think we all love Shane now.

 

We were saying the same about Michail Antonio in L1 and look at him now!....We should've paid what Reading were asking.

 

Agreed. I find lack of effort a lazy criticism and often without foundation.

For me I think the issue is he has been playing too deep. If he is going to be any kind of a goal threat then he needs to be playing on the shoulder of the last defender and trying to break the line.
I suspect he'll be playing up top with Pelle so we need to see him trying to get beyond Pelle instead of dropping deep and doing all his play in front of defenders.

His confidence is clearly very low which is not helping matters, especially in front of goal where he is snatching at and scuffing chances

 

I agree with you about lazy criticism of players who seem to be off-form. Mane shows no lack of effort, but because he's off-form it has become misdirected. I'm glad you've mentioned Pelle. He gets bags of criticism but nobody takes notice any of the fact that he's been playing for half the season so far with a knee problem. It's a James Beattie situation all over again. He was heavily criticised in his last season, but was playing with a knee injury through half the time. Barely anyone stopped for second to appreciate that.

 

Antonio was my favourite player at that point for Saints. Thought he showed so much promise. Never realised how young he was!

As for Sadio, he's blatantly trying to save his effort and scared of injury imo. Thinks the work's been done. Maybe it has - we'll find out during the window whether a deal was already made or not, I imagine. If he goes, on this form, he's blatantly been tapped up.

 

Unfortunately don't think it works like that - he'd still get the move, based on his promise; it's the club who'd get fleeced in the purchase price.

 

We don't have to sell, so if he is going won't it be Saints who determine the purchase price?

 

Were they selling? My recall is that they weren't interested. Great shame. Loved his goal at Wembley, and would have loved to see him develop at SMS.

 

Thank goodness for this. I started reading this thread, genuinely thinking I must be going to a different ground each week. He is not delivering the end product right now, but suggestions of sulking or not trying are a simply a guess or misinterpretation of actions.

 

Where did you get the knowledge on the knee injury for Pelle from?

 

*Cough* Koeman has mentioned it at least 3 or 4 times. Maybe even half a dozen. He first suffered it in the last home match last season. It's been niggling. Thought it was common knowledge.

 

Anyone noticed that if you switch his initials, it almost sounds like 'Mad or Sane' (I dropped the French accent thingy, so pronounce it English-style), which is pretty apt considering the effect he has on me sometimes. On his day he is one of our greatest ever attackers, but I absolutely can't stand all the diving to the floor that he does.

But I wouldn't sell him in a million years for anything below 35 million.

 

Yeah, this. I feel the same way. I loved Antonio when we had him on loan, but Reading were trying to cash in. We said we wanted him, Antonio said he wanted to stay here. But they overplayed their hand. And then sent him on loan and ended up getting very little for him. Less than what we offered, IIRC.

And in the meantime, we did just fine without him. Look where Reading is now, and where we are. As much as I was and still am a fan of Antonio, sometimes it just doesn't work out. If other clubs are hellbent on being stupid in their valuation of players, then there's nothing we can do but find another option.