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Ok so trying to stay positive.
First the money. The money only bothers me if say we had a 40 million budget and we just spunked 35 on Mane leaving us with **** all to buy anyone else. But considering we have grown hugely on the commercial side of things since FSG came in and the new TV deal is here, I dont think a club of our size is really gonna struggle for money.
Plus it's not my money. So the $$$ really doesnt matter in this case.
So let's talk about the player. Firstly from what I have read, Klopp has had his eye on Mane for years and there was some talk he had wanted him whilst back at Dortmund. So I definitely think he is Klopp's man and I'm inclined to trust the world class manager we have managing the club.
His stats are pretty good. In comparison to our other three main attacking midfielders they are pretty favourable. Here are the goals and assists numbers for each in all comps last season.
Mane - 15 & 6
Coutinho - 12 & 7
Firmino - 11 & 9
Lallana - 7 & 7
So people can whinge and say well he's not much of an upgrade. But he really is, particularly as we are upgrading on our weakest link which is Lallana.
Buying a player to take the place of Firmino or Coutinho would be very difficult as they are absolute top class. It's Lallana who he is coming in to replace and he scored more than DOUBLE the goals that Lallana managed last season.
It's more than goals and assists though, it's about the style of player Klopp wants. Klopp wants to press, win the ball high and attack. Mane presses, so does Lallana. But if the same two players press and win the ball high. Whilst Lallana is turning towards goal, I've read the newspaper, made a cuppa and the entire backline of the opposition team has gotten back.
If Mane presses high and wins the ball, i've blinked and Mane is bearing down on the opposition GK. He's absolutely rapid. Coming in he'd now easily be our quickest player.
We sorely lacked pace last season. Klopp knew this. Benteke, Coutinho, Firm, Lallana all lack top line pace. Sturridge used to have it but upon return has lost a step. It's a major reason why I think Klopp turned to Origi, because of his raw pace and we played so well with him stretching defenses and allowing the talented more technical players like Lallana, Phil and Bob to run into the spaces left behind and operate.
He's also quite technical and good on the ball. He ticks a lot of boxes for Klopp. Works hard, presses, has pace, has technical ability, can score goals. He's everything you want in an AM in a Klopp system.
We also have to remember that 1 in 3 is actually great for an AM. We're not buying a striker. We already have Sturridge, Ings, Origi, Tekkers if he stays and Firm can play up top too. We bought Mane to play as an AM not a striker so we surely cant moan about his 1 in 3 ratio.
If we lineup next season with Firmino, Coutinho and Mane in behind Sturridge. We'll score goals.
Also, I know Southampton finished above us last season but the gap was just three points and they won 5 of their last 6 to get over the line whilst we had all our eggs in the EL. Mane's raw numbers were better than any of our AM's and he was playing with blokes like Pelle, Long, Tadic, Davis... decent players sure, but I'd back him to get an ever better return playing with blokes like Phil and Bob and Sturridge etc.
It's not all positive of course, he does have consistency issues but you'd back Klopp in as the right man to sort those out. He's a world class coach, first, manager second. I'll back him to get Mane firing more regularly.
The other negative which even I've fallen victim of is Southampton fatigue. There are many issues here. Overpaying to Southampton is one, buying within the PL and England is another which immediately makes the transfer feel negative. Another reason is that all our dealing with Southampton havent been great.
Lambert was a huge fail even if it was a small deal and he was just bought as backup. Lovren was a disaster firstly and is only now changing minds. Lallana is a hugely polarising figure amongst supporters. Clyne is the only one that is a home run.
So I think that affects the reaction. If all the players we had bought from Southampton had been a raging success we'd be really happy to go back to the well. Plus in all honesty if Saido Mane put up those numbers and I saw the same highlights of him on YouTube but I was watching him playing at Schalke or Lyon or Valencia or Fiorentina or something, we'd honestly be rejoicing.
Ive fallen victim of this trap too. Ugh overpaying for more Southampton players. But taking a step back, this could actually be good.
End rant.
First the money. The money only bothers me if say we had a 40 million budget and we just spunked 35 on Mane leaving us with **** all to buy anyone else. But considering we have grown hugely on the commercial side of things since FSG came in and the new TV deal is here, I dont think a club of our size is really gonna struggle for money.
Plus it's not my money. So the $$$ really doesnt matter in this case.
So let's talk about the player. Firstly from what I have read, Klopp has had his eye on Mane for years and there was some talk he had wanted him whilst back at Dortmund. So I definitely think he is Klopp's man and I'm inclined to trust the world class manager we have managing the club.
His stats are pretty good. In comparison to our other three main attacking midfielders they are pretty favourable. Here are the goals and assists numbers for each in all comps last season.
Mane - 15 & 6
Coutinho - 12 & 7
Firmino - 11 & 9
Lallana - 7 & 7
So people can whinge and say well he's not much of an upgrade. But he really is, particularly as we are upgrading on our weakest link which is Lallana.
Buying a player to take the place of Firmino or Coutinho would be very difficult as they are absolute top class. It's Lallana who he is coming in to replace and he scored more than DOUBLE the goals that Lallana managed last season.
It's more than goals and assists though, it's about the style of player Klopp wants. Klopp wants to press, win the ball high and attack. Mane presses, so does Lallana. But if the same two players press and win the ball high. Whilst Lallana is turning towards goal, I've read the newspaper, made a cuppa and the entire backline of the opposition team has gotten back.
If Mane presses high and wins the ball, i've blinked and Mane is bearing down on the opposition GK. He's absolutely rapid. Coming in he'd now easily be our quickest player.
We sorely lacked pace last season. Klopp knew this. Benteke, Coutinho, Firm, Lallana all lack top line pace. Sturridge used to have it but upon return has lost a step. It's a major reason why I think Klopp turned to Origi, because of his raw pace and we played so well with him stretching defenses and allowing the talented more technical players like Lallana, Phil and Bob to run into the spaces left behind and operate.
He's also quite technical and good on the ball. He ticks a lot of boxes for Klopp. Works hard, presses, has pace, has technical ability, can score goals. He's everything you want in an AM in a Klopp system.
We also have to remember that 1 in 3 is actually great for an AM. We're not buying a striker. We already have Sturridge, Ings, Origi, Tekkers if he stays and Firm can play up top too. We bought Mane to play as an AM not a striker so we surely cant moan about his 1 in 3 ratio.
If we lineup next season with Firmino, Coutinho and Mane in behind Sturridge. We'll score goals.
Also, I know Southampton finished above us last season but the gap was just three points and they won 5 of their last 6 to get over the line whilst we had all our eggs in the EL. Mane's raw numbers were better than any of our AM's and he was playing with blokes like Pelle, Long, Tadic, Davis... decent players sure, but I'd back him to get an ever better return playing with blokes like Phil and Bob and Sturridge etc.
It's not all positive of course, he does have consistency issues but you'd back Klopp in as the right man to sort those out. He's a world class coach, first, manager second. I'll back him to get Mane firing more regularly.
The other negative which even I've fallen victim of is Southampton fatigue. There are many issues here. Overpaying to Southampton is one, buying within the PL and England is another which immediately makes the transfer feel negative. Another reason is that all our dealing with Southampton havent been great.
Lambert was a huge fail even if it was a small deal and he was just bought as backup. Lovren was a disaster firstly and is only now changing minds. Lallana is a hugely polarising figure amongst supporters. Clyne is the only one that is a home run.
So I think that affects the reaction. If all the players we had bought from Southampton had been a raging success we'd be really happy to go back to the well. Plus in all honesty if Saido Mane put up those numbers and I saw the same highlights of him on YouTube but I was watching him playing at Schalke or Lyon or Valencia or Fiorentina or something, we'd honestly be rejoicing.
Ive fallen victim of this trap too. Ugh overpaying for more Southampton players. But taking a step back, this could actually be good.
End rant.
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