Sadio Mane explains why Liverpool’s mini pre-season was exactly that

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Sadio Mane only arrived in the summer, but he’s probably the frontrunner for our Player of the Season award, with 13 Premier League games remaining.

He’s scored eleven goals in total, our most in a domestic campaign since Luis Suarez’s 31 in 2013/14 – and we look an entirely different team with him on the right of the front-three.

His absence at the African Cup of Nations was sorely missed, but thankfully he returned at the end of January, bagged a brace versus Spurs last time out and was part of our mid-season break to La Manga.

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According to Mane, the trip was beneficial to all and sets us in perfect stead in our attempts to finish in a Champions League place.

“It went very well. We had a good time but we also worked very hard, we trained together well and we also had a friendly game amongst ourselves. The weather wasn’t brilliant but a bit better than here,” the Senegal international told Liverpoolfc.com. 

“It was just like one [a pre-season]. OK, the weather was good and we had a good time, but the training sessions were very intense so it was like a pre-season.

“It was good to bring the team together again because we had a break after Tottenham. We shared rooms so we were spending time together and getting to know each other as people as well as the training side.”

Jurgen Klopp currently has his full-strength side available to him, bar Dejan Lovren at centre-back, meaning we really have no excuses from here on in. We’re well rested and have gaps between matches.

If we fail to finish in the top four after our brilliant start to the campaign, it will show the players currently at the manager’s disposal are not good enough. Mane is one of the few we know for definite will be here long-term.

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