Deadline day has passed and Sadio Mane is still a Southampton player- this is key for the upcoming season.
Sadio Mane holds the record for the fastest hat-trick in
Premier League history – a record that will probably stand for a fair while.
His quick-fire triple against Aston Villa will live long in the memory but it
is the coming season that Mane will have to kick on from that day at St. Mary’s
to prevent him from becoming the next meaningless piece of football trivia.
Speculation was high surrounding the 23 year-old for much of
the summer with Manchester United looking to poach yet another of Southampton’s
starlets. The attacking midfielder/winger was also subject to rumours linking him with
a move to German champions Bayern Munich. Southampton have managed to hold on
to their man in what could be the shrewdest move in a generally successful
transfer window for the club.
Mane was vital in Southampton’s European push during the
latter half of the Saints’ season – he was often the difference in tight games,
occasionally right at the death. He started his Southampton career out wide,
mirroring Dusan Tadic and looked exciting, especially when linking up with Ryan
Bertrand (see the latter’s goal against QPR), but it was when the Senegalese
moved into a more central role in-and-around Graziano Pelle that these goals
became a more regular occurrence and he began to make a real impact on the
South Coast.
The first time Ronald Koeman employed Mane in this way was
on Boxing Day of 2014 against Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace side where Mane got
the opener after being sent clean through by James Ward-Prowse and rounding
Julian Speroni. Mane then set up Southampton’s third crossing for Ryan Bertrand
who thundered home one of the goals of the season.
This kick-started a purple patch for the 23 year-old, stellar
performances and goals against Chelsea and Arsenal followed – Mane seemed to
have found his place; running in-behind, driving at defenders and generally
causing havoc while linking midfield and attack.
Mane’s trickery is his main attribute, he beats players with
ease and can explode past them, often drawing fouls in the process – he was
joint fifth most fouled in the Premier League last season (with Arsenal’s Santi
Cazorla). This was evident right from Mane’s first outing in a Saints shirt,
away at Arsenal in the Capital One Cup; Mane’s quick feet saw him felled by
Tomas Rosicky in the penalty area and Dusan Tadic converted from the spot –
Tadic was the benefactor of Mane’s lightning feet once again against Vitesse at
St. Mary’s.
The attacking midfielder is not weak either; his core
strength is deceiving given his stature. Alan Hutton will tell you that much;
the Scotsman bounced off Mane as the clock started on his two minutes, 56
second goal glut in May. Having the giant Italian striker, Graziano Pelle
around has helped Mane’s game too – Mane’s movement compliments Pelle’s
cleverness with his back to goal. Quick one-twos between the pair are
commonplace when Mane fills that central role.
Saints are not afraid to mix it up and play to their front
two’s strengths, balls played long with Pelle challenging and Mane using his
speed to feed off the scraps has worked effectively when employed – Mane’s first in
his hat-trick came from a huge punt up-field, Pelle flicking on and Mane
breaking through. Not total football but effective nonetheless.
Ronald Koeman has featured Mane constantly this season with
him being ever present in the Saints starting line-up this season and Dusan
Tadic, Jay Rodriguez and Shane Long rotating. Mane has been in this free role throughout
pre-season and has roamed in opening matchdays and it looks to have brought the
best out of Mane – and Pelle, both scoring in the Europa League Third Round Qualifier
against Vitesse Arnhem; Pelle opening the scoring in both legs and Mane
rounding off the 5-0 aggregate score in Arnhem. The former’s two assists
against Norwich last Sunday will reassure many Saints fans that his head is not
too far gone up the M3; seemingly unlike Victor Wanyama who, according to Ronald
Koeman, was not in the right state of mind to play.
Mane’s form was a determining factor for Saints last season,
but the burden on him will be lessened somewhat with the attacking additions of
Juanmi, from Malaga C.F, and Jay Rodriguez after his 14-month injury lay off. Keeping
the Senegalese for the time being could be key if Southampton are to progress from
last season’s heights as they try to regain the European place they have lost.
