Liverpool are tripping over their own feet at the start of the season. The machine, which in previous years mainly sowed fear in England and Europe, needs an oil change – ASAP. In the Premier League, only ten out of a possible 21 points, in the Champions League the Neapolitan debacle, then torture against Ajax with a happy ending. All in all, a start to the season that does not hint at trophies.And not so long ago, Jurgen Klopp seemed to have intelligently refreshed the squad. He earned 32,000,000 on 30-year-old Sadio Mane (close to 40,000,000 if bonuses are included) and thus covered half of the amount paid to Benfica for Darwin Nunez. The fast-footed Colombian Luis Diaz stepped into Mane’s position, and one of the most talented strikers of the Old Continent took the lead. Is it really so?British Sky Sports’ expert consultant and analyst and Arsenal legend Paul Merson would disagree. Because the basis of Klopp’s football philosophy is Gegenpressing, high pressing in the opponent’s third of the field, with the aim of taking the ball away from your rival as soon as possible, or at least disrupting the organization of the attack. And it was the Senegalese with his agility, acceleration and running that was Liverpool’s main ‘wasp’ up front.”Liverpool’s problems in defense start from the front line. They don’t close the space as a compact unit. And yes, you can repeat how talented that attacking trio (Salah, Mane, Firmino) was, but actually they pressed the opponent so well and when they lost the ball, one pass was enough and goals would have been scored,” Merson believes.African showdown in Amsterdam: Mohammed Kudus against Zambo Anguissa in Champions League blockbusterAfter seven games, Liverpool have already conceded nine goals. In the entire last season, in 38 matches, the defense capitulated to him only 26 times. Its commander, Virgil Van Dijk, has been known for years as one of the best stoppers on the planet, but this season he was too often left by himself.”How many football players this season attacked directly at Van Dijk compared to the previous three, four years? It doesn’t matter how good a player you are when you’ve got people running at you left, right and centre,” continued Merson.Yes, Liverpool still score a lot of goals this season, but not thanks to Darwin Nunez.”Mane led the offensive line when pressing and I can’t understand that sale… Not for that money. Darwin Nunez is not in the same league at the moment. He doesn’t belong in the same league at all. I’ve been saying since day one that selling Mane is the worst deal in in the history of Liverpool. The guy scored important goals, goals in big games. Tore apart defenses, scored, opened up rivals with goals, scored goals for equalizing, winning goals, goals at the end of games.”##NAJAVA_MECA_6696561##In Liverpool, they obviously did not appreciate enough what the Senegalese brought them since 2016, when they bought him from Southampton for 41,200,000 euros. For years in the shadow of Mohamed Salah who delivered far more impressive numbers. But after leaving Anfield it is clear that Mane did things that did not catch the eye as dominantly as Salah’s goals.Mane was the real ‘Scotty Pippen’ of the Premier League. One of the best on the Island, but always in the shadow of the Egyptian king, and his salary merged into the average of the English elite. One of the main reasons for his uncontrollable desire to leave is that the management refused on several occasions to offer him the money he deserves… And at Anfield, he only earned 2,500,000 euros a year.”I’m not a statistics person. For me, Mane was a great, great player for Liverpool. To sell him for 30-something million, which in the world of the Premier League is a cup of tea, wouldn’t they have been better off to keep him and let him go for free?” concluded Merson.##NAJAVA_MECA_6696598##Last weekend’s disappointing 3-3 draw with Brighton, the upcoming visit to the leader Arsenal at the Emirates – also a duel that will show whether the non-Mane Liverpool are ready to catch one of the last trains to connect the competition in the fight for the title. Or will the reality be a fight for the top four spots and qualifying for the Champions League?
