Jurgen Klopp has got his man!
Well, in many ways, he hasn’t. Mario Gotze seemed to wave Liverpool’s advances away and they’ve ended up with the enigmatic Sadio Mane, who will surely be the butt of transfer fee jokes for the rest of this summer. Hey, that’s something to look forwards to!
Anyway, the confirmation of Mane is big news for Liverpool. Klopp has delivered on that desire for a winger and, aside from yet another player arriving from Southampton, Liverpool have made an addition that does not look quite the same as many of their previous signings.
The verdict around this signing has largely been negative. People aren’t leaping up to congratulates the Kopites, nor are they concerned that Mane will fire Liverpool to world dominance. Mane’s inconsistency, in fact, makes him a hard player to judge. Which Mane will appear for Liverpool?
Well, the good one, we reckon. So, here are FIVE reasons he’s a better bet than Gotze…
Wheels on fire
Players as fast as Mane can often fall short when it comes to technical ability but Liverpool’s new signing does not disappoint in this aspect.
Where Gotze would play a similar role to Phlippe Coutinho or Adam Lallana, Mane is far more of a goal threat and his utterly devastating pace will be used to great affect in a Klopp side. It’s hard to see why Gotze was initially first choice ahead of Mane, when you consider the extra assets the Senegalese ace has.
Stagnation
Considering how great he was tipped to become, injury and competition for places at Bayern Munich have seen Mario Gotze stagnate somewhat.
Of course all the talent is there, in abundance in fact, but the German attacking midfielder does not quite have that same star potential as he once seemed to. He may well still develop in to a future Ballon d’Or winner, but the figures being quoted were not as much of a bargain as some may’ve believed.
Samey, Samey
What would Gotze offer that Liverpool don’t already have?
Yes, you can argue that he’s a better player at those roles than the current options, but he’s hardly going to provide the options that Mane does. Mane plays in roles that Liverpool simply don’t have.
It’s not just about the pace with Mane, but his all-round game is not similar to any other Liverpool first-teamer right now.
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Wherever it may take you
Although Mario Gotze can play in a variety of forward positions, Sadio Mane is undoubtedly more natural in those said positions.
In Klopp’s system, it’s hard to envisage Gotze successfully playing the false nine role, whilst Gotze playing from a wide area would compromise the system in many ways.
Conversely, Mane could easily play as the main striker, off the centre forward or as one of the wide players. You’d expect he will largely be found on the wings, but Mane’s electric pace will surely stretch games.
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Transition loving
Jurgen Klopp’s sides in a fast attacking transition make a football fan swoon. The way players move, interchange and open up space is breath-taking at times.
Sadio Mane, more so than Mario Gotze, is perfectly suited to this. His direct, yet intelligent, runs make him a pain to mark and an even harder player to track.
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