EPL

Why Mane is right 'not to panic' as Liverpool star admits to 'worst season of my career'

By Sports Desk May 11, 2021

Sadio Mane has been urged "not to panic" despite the Liverpool forward admitting he is enduring the worst season of his senior career.

The Senegal international has scored 13 times in all competitions this season, nine of which have come in the Premier League, with his effort against Southampton last weekend just his third league goal at Anfield in 2020-21.

That form has been in stark contrast to last season, when Mane scored 18 times in the top flight alone to help propel the Reds to their first Premier League title.

The 29-year-old has struggled to find answers to his problems and has even sought medical advice to see if physical impairments are behind them.

"This is the worst season of my career. I have to admit it," he told Canal Plus. "If you ask me what is wrong I will struggle to give you an answer. Personally, I don't know.

"I have always tried to be positive, whether things are going well or badly. I question myself all the time. I even underwent a test to take a look at my body. Am I eating the right foods, or has everything changed? But they checked the test results, and everything is fine.

"I need to understand that in life there are ups and downs. I will keep on working hard – and perhaps in time this situation will pass."

BELOW EXPECTATIONS

Mane's output in terms of creating for others is similar to last season's: he is only two assists (five) and seven chances created (52) down on the numbers he recorded in the league in 2020-21.

His reduction in goals is also not for lack of trying. He has already attempted 86 shots in the league this term, nine more than last season, while his shot accuracy has dropped by just three per cent. Similarly, his conversion rate for Opta-defined 'big chances' has only reduced by 4.4 per cent.

However, Mane's overall shot conversion rate in the league this season has dropped to 10.47 per cent from 23.38 per cent in 2019-20. This indicates a broader problem with his finishing – and the evidence supports this.

Last season, Mane scored 18 times in the league from an Expected Goals figure of only 13.67. His Expected Goals on Target – a metric that helps to model the quality of a player's on-target shots – was 15.86. That gives him a difference between xG and xGOT, called Shooting Goals Added (SGA), of 2.21.

This indicates that, when presented with a chance by team-mates, Mane was often executing shots that were in locations a goalkeeper would find difficult to save. In other words, he was finishing clinically. This season, however, things have changed.

Mane's xG in 2020-21 has lowered slightly to 12.45, but his xGOT has dropped substantially to 10.65, giving him an SGA of -1.8. The likelihood of him scoring this term based on the quality of his own shooting has fallen discernibly, albeit not massively.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

If Mane's problems in front of goal are clear but not drastic, what is the solution? The message from one former coach is clear: don't panic.

Alain Giresse, who was Senegal coach from 2013 to 2015, thinks part of the problem is that Jurgen Klopp's side were always bound to suffer some sort of dip in standards given their sustained excellence in the previous two seasons.

"The pole vaulter who is getting people used to clearing six metres, the day he clears 5.80m, we're not going to question it," Giresse told Stats Perform.

"The seasons that Liverpool have just had were at such a high level that to keep them for years to come is extremely difficult.

"They have dominated European football and English football. To stay at the top at this level is very complicated. Something eventually erodes and they are in the middle of that.

"I'm still in touch with Sadio and I tell him not to panic even though it's clear you have to work constantly. Clubs know this. For example, Monaco were on a 12-game winning run, and when they lost the 13th game in Strasbourg, the coach said that it was bound to happen.

"The problem in this type of situation is that you get the impression that it's the end of the world. You say to yourself that out of 13 games, you lose one, while you've won all the others... Liverpool are in a similar situation."

Related items

  • Massimiliano Allegri looking for strong end to season as Juventus eye twin goal Massimiliano Allegri looking for strong end to season as Juventus eye twin goal

    Juventus’ Serie A title challenge may well be over for another year but coach Massimiliano Allegri is still looking for a strong finish to the season.

    The Turin giants last claimed the scudetto in 2020 but their hopes of ending that run this campaign have all-but disappeared after winning just one of their last eight games.

    That means the third-placed Bianconeri will go into this weekend’s trip to Lazio a massive 17 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan with only nine league games left.

    However, with a top-four spot yet to be secured and the Coppa Italia up for grabs – Juve face Lazio in the first leg of their semi-final next Tuesday – Allegri’s men still have plenty to play for as action resumes after the international break.

    Allegri told a press conference: “The players who have returned from international duty are well, and those who stayed with us worked a lot on the pitch.

    “Now we’re all ready for that final push to the finish line, we have 55 days to take us to the end of the season.

    “The most important thing for us now is that we’re all focused on the end of the season.

    “We’ve dropped a lot of points and we have to be realistic. In the second half of the season we’ve only picked up 13 points, and now we have 27 to play for to consolidate our place in the Champions League spots.

    “Then there’s the Italian Cup, and on Tuesday we have another important game against Lazio hoping to stay in the fight for silverware. We have to think about that too.”

    Allegri, who said Italy forward Moise Kean will start against Lazio as he looks to push his Euro 2024 claims, is set to take charge of his 500th Serie A match this weekend.

    The 56-year-old former AC Milan and Cagliari coach said: “I’m pleased to have reached 500 games in charge, and it’s evidence of my desire, passion and love for the job and this sport. I want to have fun still and I love being out on the pitch.”

  • John Swift on the spot to salvage point for West Brom at Millwall John Swift on the spot to salvage point for West Brom at Millwall

    John Swift’s penalty rescued a point for play-off chasing West Brom as they extended their unbeaten run to seven league games with a 1-1 draw at Millwall.

    The Lions controlled the first half and were a goal ahead at the break after a fine finish from Duncan Watmore.

    However, Swift converted a penalty to ensure the Baggies sealed a seventh game unbeaten in all competitions for the first time since their 2019/20 Championship campaign.

    A lively pre-match atmosphere intensified ahead of kick-off as West Brom’s players took the knee to a chorus of boos from the home fans.

    The Den got even louder when referee James Bell waved away appeals for handball after Kyle Bartley blocked George Honeyman’s cross inside the box.

    Zian Flemming won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area in the 17th minute having surged straight through the Baggies’ defence. However, his driven effort from the resulting set-piece deflected behind for a corner.

    The pressure finally told four minutes later when Watmore pounced on a loose ball before calmly stroking it past Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer to give the hosts the lead.

    Carlos Corberan’s side were struggling to deal with Millwall’s direct approach and it should have been 2-0 when Michael Obafemi went through on goal from a long ball but his effort was straight at Palmer.

    Watmore almost turned provider with 10 minutes left of the half, orchestrating some neat play on the edge of the box before feeding Billy Mitchell, who fired wide from close range.

    The visitors finally got on the front foot as the half drew to a close but former Millwall favourite Jed Wallace scuffed his shot after being picked out by Grady Diangana.

    Corberan’s side maintained that pressure at the start of the second half, whipping several dangerous balls into the box and controlling possession.

    Watmore missed a golden opportunity to give his side a two-goal cushion in the 57th minute, blasting the ball over the bar from the centre of the box.

    Obafemi was fouled just outside the area as the Lions appeared to retake control of the clash and moments later Honeyman forced a desperate block from Conor Townsend.

    However, Millwall were made to pay for missed opportunities in the 67th minute when Diangana appeared to be tripped by Joe Bryan inside the penalty area.

    Bell pointed to the penalty spot and Swift made no mistake, firing the ball into the bottom-left corner.

    The Baggies were almost ahead moments later after Alex Mowatt was picked out on the edge of the box by Tom Fellows but his strike did not trouble Millwall stopper Matija Sarkic.

    Neither side created a clear-cut chance during a quiet end to a fiery encounter in South London.

  • Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool assessing Andy Robertson injury ‘day by day’ Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool assessing Andy Robertson injury ‘day by day’

    Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool will take things “day by day” with Andy Robertson as he indicated the left-back’s injury was not serious.

    Robertson was being assessed by the Reds after coming off in the first half of Scotland’s friendly against Northern Ireland on Tuesday due to an ankle issue.

    Speaking at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League home clash with Brighton, Liverpool boss Klopp said: “Robbo, we take it a little bit day by day, so we will see.

    “He will not train today but it’s not as bad, so that’s fine.”

    Klopp – whose side after the Brighton game continue their title bid by hosting Sheffield United next Thursday, then playing Manchester United away three days later – also reported that Darwin Nunez, a withdrawal from Uruguay’s squad as the international break got under way, was “fine”.

    Ibrahima Konate, absent for Liverpool’s last three games, is set to be available this weekend as well, and while Klopp said he was unsure if that applied to Curtis Jones, the midfielder has been training.

    Liverpool have also had Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota on the sidelines, and Klopp added: “The other boys, from next week on, step by step I think they will join parts of team training, and then team training, so we will see what we do with that.

    “They’re not too far away but not in yet. They all make their steps, so it’s positive.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.