Ian Wright has suggested on the Wrighty’s House podcast that he simply can’t believe that Liverpool fans were giving Sadio Mane any stick this season.
Mane hasn’t scored with same regularity as in previous years, with Liverpool’s attack not quite functioning at its optimum level throughout much of the campaign.
However, when the season reached crunch stage, Mane pulled it out of the bag for Liverpool again.
The £34 million Senegalese forward (BBC Sport) netted twice as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-0 on the final day to confirm their Champions League status.
And Wright feels that any Liverpool fans who criticised Mane were totally out of order.
“Mane ended up getting them where they needed to be. I was reading stuff where fans were having a go at Mane, I couldn’t believe it, especially when you look at the amount of time it took Firmino to get going,” Wright said.
“Mane for major parts of the season last season and the season before, where they only missed out [on the league] by one point.
“What that man has done for that club. For him to get the stick he was getting, I don’t believe it. I think that must be bots. There’s no way Liverpool fans would be having a go at that man.
“He came to the fore again when Liverpool needed him, scored a couple of goals, to finish it off.”
Mane’s final day brace means that he took his total to 11 goals for the season in the Premier League.
The Liverpool forward would surely have been hoping for more at the start of the campaign, but the campaign was heavily disrupted.
The changes to the Reds’ backline meant that their build-up play wasn’t as slick as in previous years and it affected numerous players.
Mohamed Salah was the only member of Liverpool’s attack who was able to score with the same consistency as expected.
In the end Jurgen Klopp’s side still did enough though, and the fact that they will be playing Champions League football again next season will be a major relief to everyone at Anfield.
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