Stephen Warnock has told Sky Sports News (13/9, 10:22) that Sadio Mane looked hungry and full of energy in a ‘devastating’ Liverpool front-three against Leeds United on Sunday.
Mane struck his second of the season to round out the scoring at Elland Road as the Reds won 3-0. Jurgen Klopp has started the 29-year-old in all four of the Anfield outfit’s Premier League fixtures thus far. He has also relied on the Senegalese star to play all 360 minutes.
Mane’s fitness was one of the aspects that stood out most of all for Warnock in West Yorkshire. The Liverpool product and later Leeds full-back believes his fitness was often a cause of concern last term. But those worries were a distant thought at the weekend.
Instead, Warnock felt £34m forward Mane was a danger throughout as Liverpool extended their unbeaten start over the winless Leeds.
“If it was me, as a Liverpool manager or fan, I’d be saying: ‘I don’t mind what’s happened,’ because he’s getting in [good] positions,” Warnock said. “He looks hungry, he was unfortunate with a couple of the incidents, but he looked a danger all game. He was desperate to get on the scoresheet and fortunately for him, he did that in the end.
“But he looked so powerful, and he looked fit, as well. That was something we often said last season, that he looked drained of energy. He didn’t look that at all yesterday, he was full of energy. I would say, as well, not just Mane, it was actually the front-three, [they were] devastating and when they play like that, they are very, very difficult to stop.”
Can Mane keep up his form and fitness, given Warnock concerns on Liverpool ace?
Mane did not always deliver an attacking impact last term, despite scoring 11 and assisting eight in 35 top-flight appearances. He now has two goals in four games this term, and could even have stretched his record further on Sunday.
The 75-cap international had a great chance to beat Illan Meslier in the first-half, but could not convert. He followed the close-range attempt with more probing forays into Whites territory. Eventually getting a goal after turning Liam Cooper and drilling into the corner.
Klopp will hope Mane maintains his form and – potentially more or as important – his fitness, given the concerns around the Liverpool ace last season that Warnock alluded to.
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