Kop ace Mane a sad shadow

THERE was a moment towards the end of the first half when Sadio Mane paused and looked almost imploringly towards the Kop.

It was as though he was asking the cold, bleak, empty terrace for an inspiration it could not give.

Yet if ever a player needed the support from that famous stand – or the fans it usually accommodates – it is the Senegal forward.

He looks lost without them. Mane (below) is a quiet character, but his relationship with the fans is a joyous one. However, at home now Liverpool are a shadow of the side who conquered everything before them on their 68-game run without defeat – and Mane is the perfect example of that.

He has scored just three goals in 20 Premier League games this season and his lack of confidence in front of goal is painfully evident.

This is a player who scored 22 goals last season, 30 the season before. But when he was through on goal in the first half, he looked almost startled – his attempt at a volley ending almost comically – when in years past he would have finished almost arrogantly.

It is symptomatic of Liverpool this season. Their world-class players did not look like scoring and the only question was who would be subbed first. Mo Salah was the unlucky one, but it could have been any forward. They are shadows of themselves. For Liverpool, the return to normal service – and support – cannot come soon enough.

BEN STOKES put his body on the line again for England despite still struggling with a stomach bug that had laid him and others low.

He top scored with 55 in a total of 205 on another difficult day,