Sadio Mane Will Be Liverpool's Player to Watch in Pre-Season
Beginning with a series of domestic friendlies against lower-league sides, Liverpool's pre-season schedule will provide Jurgen Klopp's squad with a rigorous test of their credentials as they prepare for the 2016/17 campaign—with the former Borussia Dortmund manager implementing a gruelling fitness regime.
Having secured a 1-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers in their opening warm-up fixture on Friday, the Reds take on Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium on July 13, before clashes with Wigan Athletic and Huddersfield Town.
Klopp's side then take to the United States for the International Champions Cup, facing off with Chelsea and AC Milan, as well as stopping off in Missouri for a friendly with AS Roma at Busch Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals.
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Liverpool round off their ICC involvement with a showpiece clash with Barcelona at Wembley Stadium, before travelling to Mainz in Germany to take on Klopp's former side in the last of nine fixtures.
The 49-year-old will welcome back a host of key names throughout pre-season, having afforded each of his internationals from the UEFA European Championship and the Copa America Centenario three weeks' holiday after their nation's exit from the respective tournaments, but he is already able to call upon a strong squad.
This includes summer arrivals Loris Karius, Joel Matip and Sadio Mane, with all eyes on the latter in particular, after the Senegalese forward's £30 million move to Anfield from Southampton at the end of June.
Mane, likely Liverpool's most high-profile acquisition ahead of 2016/17, stands to be the one to watch throughout pre-season—and the 24-year-old can underline his credentials with strong displays in the No. 19 shirt.
Mane's arrival on Merseyside at the end of June came as something of a surprise to supporters, with the former Red Bull Salzburg star targeted as an alternative to high-profile target Mario Gotze, who had turned down a move to Anfield earlier in the summer, according to German publication Bild (h/t Jack Bezants of MailOnline).
The big-money fee earmarked to seal Klopp's reunion with his former Dortmund protege was instead paid to Southampton, with Mane becoming the fifth player to make the switch from the south coast to Anfield in three years.
While Merseyside held reservations over Mane's signing, Klopp was highly anticipating his reporting to action at Melwood and told the club's official website:
"I have followed Sadio for a lot of years since his impressive performances in the Olympics in 2012, and then watched his development in Austria and in his time at Southampton.
Since I came here I have spoken to the staff a lot about him and have always felt he could be a very good signing for us. He has a lot of quality, works hard and has a very good goalscoring record.
When I spoke to him I could tell that he was passionate about joining the club and playing for our fantastic fans. I think they will be just as excited about seeing him put on a Liverpool shirt as I am.
"
The German had identified Mane as a future target even before Gotze left Dortmund to join Bayern Munich, and with the Senegal international developing throughout his time with Salzburg and Southampton, Klopp was finally able to add him to his group.
Mane cited his former Salzburg manager Roger Schmidt as the biggest influence on his career, and shining under the German at the Red Bull Arena will likely have piqued Klopp's interest—with the now-Bayer Levekusen boss employing a similar high-intensity tactical style as the former Mainz defender.
Likely vying with Adam Lallana for a starting role on Liverpool's right flank, this front-footed defensive quality will be of great significance—particularly after Klopp described Lallana as his "hunter," in conversation with Fox Sports' Keith Costigan in May.
Mane started on the right wing in Liverpool's first friendly of pre-season at Tranmere and produced an encouraging 45-minute display that saw him combine well with another of Klopp's key attackers, Roberto Firmino.
"He is a very, very nice guy and a good football player," said Klopp, per the club's official website after Liverpool's 1-0 victory.
"Everybody could see in the first half, with really tired legs he really played a good game. He could have scored, could have done one or the other thing a little bit better, but he was fine."
Mane showcased his pace in latching on to an ambitious Dejan Lovren pass; his intelligent movement in drifting inside to link up with Firmino; his creativity in dropping deep to thread passes through for the Brazilian; and his work rate in chasing down loose balls and applying pressure on Tranmere defenders.
While it was only a pre-season friendly, Mane outlined his strengths as an attacker and provided a clear picture of where he will fit into Klopp's first-team plans.
Replacing Lallana in Klopp's regular starting lineup should see Mane join Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and one of Daniel Sturridge or Divock Origi in a four-man unit, and while the Liverpool manager will be hoping he can replicate Lallana's relentless work ethic, he will also be expected to improve on the Englishman's goal tally.
Mane scored 25 goals in 75 games for Southampton, while Lallana has scored just 13 times in 90 appearances for the Reds since his £25 million move from St. Mary's Stadium in 2014; furthermore, Mane notched 45 goals in 87 games during his time at Salzburg.
Sadio Mane, Goals per Season
- 2011/12 - one goal in 19 games.
- 2012/13 - 19 goals in 30 games.
- 2013/14 - 23 goals in 50 games.
- 2014/15 - 13 goals in 40 games.
- 2015/16 - 15 goals in 43 games.
The addition of Mane's average of 14.2 goals per season to that of the prolific Firmino, Coutinho and Sturridge—who scored 36 goals between them in 2015/16, despite long-term injury to the latter—promises to transform Klopp's Liverpool into a major attacking threat.
Though, as Klopp explained to the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce in June, the German will be more interested in the development of his squad's fitness through pre-season, supporters can hope for goals from Mane in the Reds' warm-up fixtures.
Having seen his side fail to secure victory in both the Capital One Cup and UEFA Europa League finals in 2015/16, as well as falling to an eighth-placed finish in the Premier League, Klopp heads into the new season—his first full campaign as Liverpool manager—determined to improve.
The successful translation of Mane's attacking talents to his forward line will be a major factor in ensuring Liverpool do so, and the £30 million forward's performances throughout pre-season can aid this adjustment.
After providing a glimpse of his talents in the Reds' 1-0 victory over Tranmere, supporters can hope for more from Mane throughout pre-season—and particularly against high-profile opposition such as Milan, Chelsea and Barcelona.
As Klopp attested on Mane's arrival: "I think they will be just as excited about seeing him put on a Liverpool shirt as I am."
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk.
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