Trevor Sinclair has claimed that Sadio Mane is even more crucial to Liverpool than Mohamed Salah.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Sinclair made the point that he believes Mane is more important than Salah to Jurgen Klopp’s side.
“Mane’s left a little question mark hasn’t he,” said the pundit. “I think he’s probably, for me, more important (than Salah). It’s alright saying look at the goal ratio that Salah gets, but look at the work ethic of Mane and what he brings to that Liverpool side, he’s hard as nails.”
Instead of one being more important than the other, it’s more a case of them both offering different things in Klopp’s winning machine.
Salah on top in 2020/21
It’s a funny quirk for Liverpool over the last couple of seasons that Mane and Salah have rarely both been on top form at the same time.
Throughout last season, Mane really struggled to get going. Fatigue definitely contributed, but he looked a shadow of his former self and questions were abound that he could finally be winding down after playing so much football.
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Liverpool’s number 10 has gone on to make a mockery of such suggestions this season.
However, his re-emergence as one of Liverpool’s most reliable goal scorers has correlated with Salah’s downturn in form.
The Egyptian carried The Reds at times in 2020/21. He himself wasn’t as good as he can be, but he still managed 31 goals. That was almost double the second top-scorer – which was Mane with 16.
Salah carried that goalscoring form into the current season while Mane again floundered a little.
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Since the turn of the year it has been a different story, though. While Mane has roared back into form, Salah’s has dropped quite alarmingly.
Hopefully there’s still chance for the two to rediscover their form together for Liverpool. But rumours have intensified that tomorrow could be Mane’s last game for Liverpool.
If that is the case, both players have been truly sensational players for this football club.
There’s no need to debate who was more important, their stories will be told together and separately for years and years to come.