Liverpool are a completely different side with Sadio Mane in the team.
Reds midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum spoke to the Liverpool Echo about Sadio Mane’s importance to the team, and what he believes is the false perception that they are overly reliant on the Senegal international.
The 24-year-old was back to his best against Tottenham on Saturday, and scored both goals during their 2-0 win.
Lallana highlights where Liverpool need to improve
Jürgen Klopp must surely be ecstatic to have Mane back available, after he spent a month with his national side on duty at the African Cup of Nations.
And many pundits questioned Liverpool’s strength in depth, after they won just one game during the pacey winger’s absence.
Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum celebrates
But Wijnaldum insisted that there is far more to the Reds’ makeup than just one player, when speaking to the Liverpool Echo, although he did acknowledge Mane’s outstanding ability:
“He is really important but it is too much Sadio Mane now. He scored two goals but also I think it has been about him because we had poor results without Sadio. Before he left for Africa we had good results, only against Sunderland we did not have a good result. Still they said ‘Sadio Mane, Sadio Mane’ but last week we lost with Sadio Mane. I don’t think it is fair to the other players to say ‘because of Sadio Mane we win’. Of course he is a great player – he helps us with his speed and he scores goals but I think it is more about the team than only Sadio Mane.”
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane celebrates
Mane has scored 11 goals in 22 Premier League outings since moving to Anfield in the summer, and when he is in the team, they are undoubtedly a different prospect all together.
Read Klopp’s take on Coutinho’s form
Klopp’s men now sit just 11 points adrift of league leaders Chelsea, and with 13 games still to go, they most certainly cannot be ruled out as potential title winners just yet.
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