Forget Salah, it’s Sadio who is the Mane attraction
FORGET the fact that Pep Guardiola had something of a shocker, making one of the worst selection calls of his stellar managerial career.
Forget the fact that Manchester City’s reserve goalkeeper served up a dog’s dinner of a performance.
Forget the fact that the Premier League champions were so poor and ponderous in the first half, it was scarcely believable.
Forget the fact that Kevin De Bruyne and the influential Rodri did not see a moment’s action.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are in the FA Cup Final because they have got history in their cross-hairs and are hell-bent on keeping it in sight, led upfront by the indefatigable Sadio Mane.
His tireless opportunism exposed Zack Steffen’s unsuitability for the occasion.
And Liverpool, for the opening 45 minutes, were simply more driven, more determined, quicker, stronger, hungrier, better. Simple as that.
Make no mistake, the Quadruple – and a headline slot in football’s record books – is now a very, very realistic ambition. And for all his protests about scheduling, Klopp is executing his master plan with some aplomb.
After resting his A-listers against Benfica, he recalled them to run a shockingly disjointed City ragged for one half of football before complacency set in.
Even his slightly contentious selections – Ibrahima Konate and Naby Keita – worked out extremely well.
But it was Mane who set the most wonderful example.
It seems bizarre to say, but Mane remains one of the most underrated superstars of world football.
Really?
Well, how come all we hear about is the stand-off over Mohamed Salah’s contract when Mane’s is due to expire at the same time?
Mane has now scored 18 goals across all club competitions this season, yet, while Salah is an odds-on shot to be voted the PFA Player of the Year, you can get odds of 100-1 against Mane winning the accolade.
And, don’t forget, Mane has led his Senegal team to victory in the Africa Cup of Nations and into the
World Cup finals. He has been as crucial a component of Klopp’s project as any other player, including Salah.
Even before Konate had headed his third goal in as many starts, Mane sensed the fundamental unease streaking through a back five that was, to say the least, an almighty gamble from Guardiola.
And it was not even a surprise to see him close Steffen down and prompt the most horrendous of errors, doubling Liverpool’s lead.
Mane’s second was more conventional, a sweet volley to finish a sweet move.
Mane is a man who can score all manner of goals.
In truth, though, it did help
that Guardiola (below) fielded his back-up keeper and Nathan Ake, even though Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte were fit enough to be on the bench.
And it helped Liverpool that so many City players did not appear to know what system they were supposed to be using.
By the time they had some sort of inkling, the first half – and, it turned out, the tie – was over.
In a fashion, City finally got to grips their manager’s tactics and after Jack Grealish had pulled one back, Bernardo Silva made it an interesting four minutes of added time with a tap-in.
But, while Guardiola’s side had improved markedly, you got the feeling Liverpool, who face Manchester United in the Premier League on Tuesday, stepped off the gas a little.
There certainly looks to be plenty left in the tank for the mighty challenges ahead.
And, should Liverpool beat United at Anfield, the pressure on Pep will be cranked up, even though the destiny of the title is still in his and City’s hands.
Meanwhile, having got away with it at the Etihad last Sunday, Klopp (right) is taking the season’s climax in his stride.
And when he has got Mane as one of five brilliant attacking operators at his disposal, why shouldn’t he be?
The Quadruple is on… and he knows it.