Nothing amazing today but he's got five goals in his last five games.
Sadio Mane | LFC Player
- Thread starter RedMachine03
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Got two yellows in about 4 minutes at the end of the game. 
Got two yellows in about 4 minutes at the end of the game.
Sign him up
Haven't jumped in with an opinion on this guy yet but after watching him play 90 minutes quite a few times this season we really should sign him - he's quick, dynamic can play at 7, 10 or 11 and is providing goals and assists regularly. He is not afraid to take players on, we only have 1 player in our team at the moment that can do this in Martial and when he plays down the middle we are crying out for some pace and trickery on the wings.
I didn't think much of him last season but I can see why we were interested now. Would happily take him here but he'd be yet anther stupidly expensive PL player really. I'm sure we could fin a similar player for significantly less from Spain or Germany.
I agree, but it is imperative it's a player like him. A pretty tireless, versatile forward with real pace and surprisingly good strength, who can double digit goals/assists. Not Memphis fast either, one with genuine pace and trickery.
0161 Mane on the map.
What'd be the point? He'd replace Mata or Herrera, while Rooney would still be starting. 
Wasn't his best game today, his end product was a bit lacking but still showed his quality at times.
He's the mane reason of Soton's succes this season
Agreed, their fans would be very Sadio to see him leave.
Bingo.
Nothing more than a tactical one match ban with the League Cup midweek. You'll notice that a few players did it this last weekend. Using their heads.Got two yellows in about 4 minutes at the end of the game.
I can understand picking up the 5th yellow in this spot, but how is getting two yellows in one game tactical?
Really? It's blatantly obvious that Matic picked up his second yellow for tactical reasons so that he could get a well deserved rest in the midweek.
Like?
Ah yeah, I forgot about the domestic ban counting in the cup matches. I don't know if that was Mane's intention - both tackles looked a bit reckless and impetuous. I may be doing him a disservice, though.
I think he will be our main target, we lack a player who can dribble past opponents on the wings.
His ability to play all four attacking positions is also a big plus for LvG.
His ability to play all four attacking positions is also a big plus for LvG.
LvG will play him at LB.
Have been very impressed with him this season, pace, balance, skill is obvious, his biggest criticism was his decision making and that has looked very good too as he matures, scores goals too, should definitely be a target.
I think his aggression, physicality and desire ability to put himself about and press high would be immense for this team. Don't care about the price if the club feel he's a player that can add another dimension to the team.
Not cheaper, but I maintain even with Mane's progress that Fekir is a much better fit and a lot more talented. And I'm aware that Fekir has torn his cruciate ligament and I still prefer him to Mane. Griezmann is another, not cheaper, but quite simply better.
Agree we should definitely be looking to add Mane.
Barcelona have Messi, Neymar and Suarez. Bayern have Lewa, Ribery, Muller and Robben. Real have Ronaldo, Bale, James and Benzema. All those players have a case for being in the top 10 in the world. It's no coincidence that their teams also happen to be the best in the world. Mane's not in that class, and stuffing the squad with players of his ilk won't help us close the gap.
This isn't Fergie's United. We don't play direct or expansive football which brings the best out of the individuals on the pitch. We're a side with a sold defence/midfield that relies on it's attackers to create a bit of magic out of nothing. In the CL, that means having unplayable attackers who fit the same profile as the ones I've listed above. Martial will soon be there. I think Herrera probably will. Memphis might. Mata, Fellaini, Rooney and Young won't, but can still add something to squad; Mane is in the same category as this last group, imo. If we have serious aspirations of getting to the top, we need to load the team up with superstars and young players with potential. Good but not great players will only lead to us spinning our wheels under LvG.
Some managers can create a world class team with less than world class players. I don't think van Gaal is one of them, which is why I don't believe that Mane is the answer.
This isn't Fergie's United. We don't play direct or expansive football which brings the best out of the individuals on the pitch. We're a side with a sold defence/midfield that relies on it's attackers to create a bit of magic out of nothing. In the CL, that means having unplayable attackers who fit the same profile as the ones I've listed above. Martial will soon be there. I think Herrera probably will. Memphis might. Mata, Fellaini, Rooney and Young won't, but can still add something to squad; Mane is in the same category as this last group, imo. If we have serious aspirations of getting to the top, we need to load the team up with superstars and young players with potential. Good but not great players will only lead to us spinning our wheels under LvG.
Some managers can create a world class team with less than world class players. I don't think van Gaal is one of them, which is why I don't believe that Mane is the answer.
can you tell me where did actually Ribery play when he was 23? DOn't even bother, he was at Olympic fecking Merseilles, he had 5+8 in 32 games.. while Mane moved to Premier league and had 13+9 in 40 games combined premier league and bundesliga. He's got 6+6 in 14 this season. Soton is definitely comparable team to Marseille in terms of quality and overall standings in the league. Players are not superstars straight away. Luis Suarez just moved to Premier league at the age of 23 from average Ajax. Not everyone is Messi, players like him are born once every 50years... Robben was also bought around that age to Chelsea where he struggled and developped into top 5 player another 5 years after when he left Real, he was injury prone but still.
De Bruyne struggled at Chelsea and only recently made a step forward to top club.. I don't even need to mention players like Vidic or Evra who made their career here after intitial struggle..
Mane's one of the best players in the league now, doesn't need to be acommodated, would definitely be a worth a try. Schneiderlin is now proving to be one of the best players in his position and I think he will prove to be one of the best signing past 20 years, and he was key player at southamphton where he actually played well but wasn't any spectacular to catch an eye of some people but his performances are even better when he has better players around him. He himself raise the team performance while his performance is better when others paly. Mane in the team wit Martial, Herrera, Morgan, Luke and could become really a beasty player and who cares about how was he rated before, nobody knew about him in England, that's only a prove that players develop at different times...
Yes, he was playing very well for France at the World Cup when France got a silver.
I like Mane and I want us to buy him but he's not going to be the next Ribery. Ribery was a clear talent even at 23.
Every man and his dog knew Ribery was the next big thing before he joined bayern.
I won't argue about how good Ribery was or wasn't at the age, the point was said. He's fecking great for Southampthon and if he can step up, that's only to be seen
FWIW, being great for Southampton is worlds apart from being a player good enough to lead our attack in the future, which is what you expect from a player who will cost atleast £35 million. If we want to compete with the Top 3 or 4 clubs in Europe on a regular basis, then we must prioritize the biggest talents, or the most accomplished players around. Because that's what the rest are doing, and have been doing for the past 4-5 years. That is why the same clubs consistently reach the semi-finals and beyond. eg. Barcelona didn't get complacent even when they had Messi and Neymar. They aimed to the very top, landed Suarez, arguably the best player in the entire Premier League, and won the treble the next season. That's the kind of competition we're facing, and not just from Barcelona, but Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. And we have an inherent disadvantage already because of a weaker squad.
Going for 'Premier League proven' talents is good in theory. But unless they're generational kind of prospects like Shaw; there is always the chance of certain players overachieving, and United ending up with a Felling or Young; decent players but they won't guide you to no League titles, let alone European Cups. While unproven players who will need time to adjust end up being scrubs like Aguero and Silva, who are major factors behind City's success, and players we could have easily signed. This time last season, folks were clamoring for Ings, and while Mane is a superior player, they're very much unproven at the highest level, and aren't among the greatest talents either. Also, at Mane's age, Ribery was France's offensive star behind Zidane at the 2006 World Cup, starting 6 out of 7 matches, and even opened their scoring vs Spain. And we was supposed to be France's next talisman after Zidane's retirement.
The same arguments that are being made for Mane now were being made for Ings last season. The usual buzzwords - he is young, one of the best players in the league, he can make the step up, he's hungry for success, and so forth. Why not add about £15 million to Mane's potential fee, and aim for the very top in Griezmann? Or sign a bigger talent like Felipe Anderson from Lazio, who will be cheaper, has already played for Brazil, and is 1 year younger? Or even Domenico Berardi and Angel Correa, who're arguably the biggest attacking talent in Italy and Argentina. You could realistically sign them for the kind of money Southampton will demand for Mane.
Going for 'Premier League proven' talents is good in theory. But unless they're generational kind of prospects like Shaw; there is always the chance of certain players overachieving, and United ending up with a Felling or Young; decent players but they won't guide you to no League titles, let alone European Cups. While unproven players who will need time to adjust end up being scrubs like Aguero and Silva, who are major factors behind City's success, and players we could have easily signed. This time last season, folks were clamoring for Ings, and while Mane is a superior player, they're very much unproven at the highest level, and aren't among the greatest talents either. Also, at Mane's age, Ribery was France's offensive star behind Zidane at the 2006 World Cup, starting 6 out of 7 matches, and even opened their scoring vs Spain. And we was supposed to be France's next talisman after Zidane's retirement.
The same arguments that are being made for Mane now were being made for Ings last season. The usual buzzwords - he is young, one of the best players in the league, he can make the step up, he's hungry for success, and so forth. Why not add about £15 million to Mane's potential fee, and aim for the very top in Griezmann? Or sign a bigger talent like Felipe Anderson from Lazio, who will be cheaper, has already played for Brazil, and is 1 year younger? Or even Domenico Berardi and Angel Correa, who're arguably the biggest attacking talent in Italy and Argentina. You could realistically sign them for the kind of money Southampton will demand for Mane.
Why are any of those players in other countries any better? Italy is an average leage without the intensity of the Premeir League and frankly, a lot of players from around the world simply can't cut it here - be it because of lifestyle, weather, the physicality of the league or any number of other reasons.
Frankly, he looks to have something we lack which is a bit of directness and a bit of real pace outwide. He was impressive last year and has been even more impressive this. He also works his socks off. All good attributes, especially since he's settled her and proved he can do it in the PL.
There will probably be better "potential" players out there but if Van Gaal thinks we need someone who can just slot in and that he's the man to give us a lift then fair enough. There are loads of players in the Premier League era who we've signed from other English clubs and they've fit right in. Every signing is a risk but this comes with less risks than others.
And £35 million - if that's waht he would cost is probably the going rate anyway. We paid more than that for a 19 year old with a handful of appearences. Loads of money washing around now so fees will fly up.
It's not about players in those countries being better, don't fixate on that narrative. It's about them evidencing greater quality. I'd have said the same about Griezmann or Felipe or Correa if they were playing in the Premier league. Lots of players were settled, and had proven they could do it in the Premier League. Ings had proven it, Lallana had proven it, our own Young and Fellaini had proved it. But if United's ambition is to reach the level of the current European elite, we must explore more options than just the familiarity of the Premier League.
Lots of players look like they could provide something we lack. Paul-Georges Ntep is almost exactly the kind of player Mane is, and he is a French international to boot. He would cost something like £10 million is we choose to sign him from Stade Rennais. Is Mane £25 million worth of an upgrade over Ntep? Honestly, I don't think so. If we want to sign players who're a step below the elite, why not sign guys like Ntep, Payet when he was at Marseille, Marco Asensio who cost Real just €4 million from Mallorca, and is arguably the best attacking talent in Spain? Why do we need to pay blockbuster money for someone who isn't part of the elite talents in Europe?
We also need to realize that the production of talent in the Premier League is:
A) Not comparable to where it was in the past. There are no Keane, Carrick, Ferdinand caliber of players being churned out on a regular basis. If there were, sign them.
B) Because of the influx of broadcasting money, Premier League clubs are starting to demand obscene amounts of money for Premier League players. One only needs to look at Liverpool's travails to realize that. Bayern got someone like Douglas Costa for £21 million. He was one of the best talents in Brazil, already a full fledged Brazilian international, and has played 30 games in the Champions League. Why spend £15 million extra on Mane, when you could buy better, or even equivalent players on a cheaper rate?
C) What worked for Fergie will not work for other managers. It's not so much what United did in the past, but what Fergie did in the past, and what he did subsequently. Fergie could get a rag tag group to overachieve to their maximum limits, while others can't.
D) The competition in the top levels of European football is way more intense than in the past. If we want to consistently challenge in the semi-finals and finals of the Champions League, it's imperative that we aim for the highest quality possible (like the clubs we compare ourselves to - Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich - have), not players who have proven it in the Premier League and will cost a bomb by relative European standards.
£35 million is not the going rate for players like Mane anywhere else in Europe, apart from the Premier League, hence why it's not sensible to plonk mega money on players who're not top, top talents. As for Shaw, there's no comparison to be made between him and Mane. We signed Shaw when he was 19, Mane is going to be 24 pretty soon. Shaw didn't just have a handful appearances. He was touted as the best defensive prospect in England, the best talent Southampton had produced since arguably Bale, he had made the Team of the Year at the age of 19, was already the best leftback in the entire league, and was arguably the best U-21 leftback in Europe alongwith Gaya. There is no comparison between Shaw and Mane.
Felipe Anderson would not be cheaper than Sadio Mane. Rumours last season were that Lazio wanted £40m for him. Correa has literally just settled in Atletico. I don't know much of Berardi bar the fact that he scores lots of goals against Milan. Does he have the same explosive pace, physicality and engine that Mane has? The rest sound like the right sort of player - and van Gaal did mention this; about us needing speedy, creative players in attack. I just want a forward who has oodles of pace, and can actually utilise it by taking his man on with some level of flair and guile. All the while managing a solid 10-to-20 goals and assists in the season.
Not asking for too much, am I?
Not asking for too much, am I?
Felipe will definitely be cheaper than Mane mate. Italian club presidents have a habit of inflating transfer fee before players are sold, only to later let them go for half of their initial demands. That's just the reality of Serie A clubs right now, their negotiations positions are usually very weak. Paulo Dybala was rated even higher than Felipe, and he ended up moving to Juventus for £22 million. Aurelio De Laurentiis said that he would only sell Edison Cavani for €100 million, and he joined PSG for €60 million. James Pallotta and Rudi Garcia both repeated Benatia was not for sale, before he joined Bayern Munich a few weeks later. Serie A players are usually much cheaper. Even Darmian, an Italian international, consistently the best in his position in the Serie A, voted Italian national team player of the Year, cost us only £13 million; when someone like Coleman would cost £20 million+.
He's quick, with great technique, quality eye for goal, is taller and stronger than Mane, hardworking, and can similarly play all across the front line.
All those players would prove pace, and creativity mate. I'd argue Felipe is even quicker than Mane. The speed with which he slices teams open is ridiculous. Berardi isn't as fast, but just a level below, and he's younger and more highly rated almost everywhere. Correa just joined Atletico, but with Mendes helping us in the De Gea deal, I'm sure he'd be willing to negotiate with Atletico, where he also has deep connections. Money speaks these days, and Correa is arguably the biggest talent in Argentina. I just don't want to sign players that will become redundant in 1-2 years when we need to upgrade. If we want to sign fringe players, which is what Mane will likely become when we further strengthen our squad to reach the elite level, why not target players on the brink? Like Mane was when he left Salzburg, Aubameyang when he left St. Etienne, and Ntep is now at Stade Rennais, instead of playing inflated fees. Let's reserve the £35-40 million for top players, or top talents.
That's a lot to wade through.
Essentially, if Van Gaal thinks he's worth £35 million then we'll pay it, if not then we won't. I don't see how "production of talent" in the PL is relevant. if you want a player you pay the price or you don't get him. the state of finances in the PL means that the smaller clubs who traditionally had their players picked off every summer can fight back and things are no longer that simple. Fair play to them, it's only going to make the league more competative.
At the end of the day every player you sign is a risk. All you can do is watch them and make a judgment as to 1) whether he improves your side and has the attributes you're looking for; and 2) whether you think they'll settle at a new club/in a new country etc.
Based on what I've seen I think he does improve us, and given that he's already based over here there's a good chance he'll slot in and do well.
One big fact you miss here is that for every foreign player who comes to the PL and does well, there are probably ten who don't. You pay more for players who have proved they can handle the PL which while it may not be technically the best is undoubtedly the strongest overall in terms of intensity, physicality and competition between all sides in the league.
If it was as easy as buying players from France (or wherever) on the cheap then Newcastle would be top of the league. It is clearly much more complex identifiying a player who can cut it here.
And in any event, if a player cost £10 million or £35 million is really of little consequence if they do well - especially to a club the size of United.
This is one of the key points of contention I feel. Lots of players would improve United in its current state, because we do have a depleted squad by top European standards. But how many of them will help us win the Champions League? How many of them will be stars for the team in 2-3 seasons? If you plan to thoroughly overhaul the squad, why not aim for the absolute top?
Mate, hold on please. Is that a fact, or is this some made up statistic? One could argue that Premier League transfers aren't successes either. I definitely wouldn't count Young as a success, when better players moved in the same window, and we didn't opt to sign them. Similar with Fellaini. And they cost us £50 million+ combined. The ten that probably don't make it (based on your anecdotal evidence) probably aren't top shelf talents like Griezmann or Felipe.
People point to Di Maria and Falcao. But Di Maria had always been an inconsistent player, and his heart just wasn't in it. Falcao was a shadow of his former self, and had sustained a major injury. The players suggested as alternatives to Mane don't share that concern. De Gea, Silva, Aguero, Toure, Kompany, Cazorla, Sanchez, Mata at Chelsea, Zabaleta, Hazard, Azpilicueta - in recent seasons, there have been so many highly rated players that excelled in the Premier League.
And you could probably name 20+ Premier League transfers going awry just in the Top 4 itself. Being proven in the Premier League isn't an advantage in Mane's favor, when top players from other league have proven they can cut it in the Premier League, and perform on the European stage to boot.
It will have consequences. Every time United pays £35 million for a player like Mane, Premier League clubs will jack up prices even further. In 2 years players like him will cost £50 million, then £70 million. Where does it stop? Why not buy players who are equal to him, or better in terms of quality from other leagues? Is playing in the Premier League a hugely reassuring accomplishment?
It is very easy to say how everyone knew he is becoming the next star, after his succesfull rise and filling the potential he certainly had but he palyed for Mrseilles waiting for a step up, the same level of club like Southampthon. Mane is currently shinning in the toughest league in the world at the same age. And he's playing well since he came here! Can we say he has less potential than Ribery had? Maybe but who remembers now. I wasn't watching Olympic Marseilles back in the day and who did? A lot of players shine at world cup to fade away. Shakiri is probably a good shout as he went to Bayern at the same age after a promissing world cup performances being well known as one of the biggest talents out there before. Now he's struggling at Stoke..
Knowing a player knows or is learning the language, got used to the fecking weather, overally settled in the country and most importantly doesn't struggle physically or in other way on the pitch is defo worth bigger price. COming for a player from abroad is always a bigger risk. We also tend to think of players from other league world of good while we dont watch them so often. Who the feck has time to watch all the players outside of premier league, if you see the highlights of three games and a youtube video a player shinning in some "lower" leagues it can often be misleading while we have a plyer who we watch almost every weekend seeing how conistent he is but he just doesn't have that name and reputation we often give players from abroad. Sadio Mane is defo better player and better looking talent now than someone like Eric Lamela who is yet to kick on and still struggles after 2and a half of year.
There are so many players that failed coming to EPL and there are less who only changed their clubs within the lague, you can obiously name so many players from both camps. There are so many exceptions of course but the surplus money asked is for good resons nd of course top teams in EPL have more money than teams abroad, knowing your player's catching eyes of the financially strongest teams in the world will only push you to raise their price for them..
Why don't we buy these players, like Mane, Payet, Ayew directly from abroad rather than letting Premier League clubs get them on the cheap and then make a profit at our expense?
Bad scouting, maybe.
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