It appears that neither Sadio Mane nor Bayern Munich have benefited from his transfer from Liverpool.
While Bayern Munich failed to sign a player who might at least partially fill the vacuum left by Robert Lewandowski’s move to Barcelona, the Reds lost one of their attack’s mainstays.
By no means has Mane performed at the level we witnessed during his time at Anfield.
The 31-year-old has played 32 games and scored 11 goals thus far. The fact that Mane has made eight of these appearances this season off the bench may come as a shock. He plays a supporting role rather than a leading one.
Even worse, after Bayern lost 3-0 to Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Mane and Leroy Sane engaged in a violent brawl in the locker room at the Etihad Stadium.
When Sane attempted to send a short pass to Mane during one of Bayern’s rare attacks but Mane instead took a deep run, the two had already begun to argue on the pitch.
After barely 14 minutes on the field as a substitute, Sane addressed Mane about what he believed to have been a mistake.
After the game, Mane protested to Sane about the way he had been addressed on the field, which sparked the brawl and left Sane with a swollen lip.
As a result, Mane was fined and suspended from Saturday’s Bundesliga match against Hoffenheim by Bayern’s management. Bayern does not want to void the forward’s contract, but they were of the opinion that harsh punishment was required.
Although Mane has allegedly received ample punishment, according to Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel, the altercation has upset the team.
Tuchel said, “I haven’t seen the incident myself, as I was in the coaches’ room,” at a press conference on Friday.
“It was crucial to me that we settle the issue before to the following training session. That’s what we did early yesterday. We made things obvious. That has happened to other teams before, and it will continue to happen to other teams.
It resulted in a purifying atmosphere.
Mane still hasn’t found his place in Munich
Tuchel has cultivated a “Mr Positive” attitude since joining Bayern in late March. After the crushing defeat at City, he even found plenty of words of inspiration, claiming he is “shocked in love” with his new club.
Tuchel is conscious of the fact that Mane is a concern.
Even at that age, he recently noted, “You need time to acclimate after changing clubs.” The key is that sensitive players like Sadio are strikers. So that he can get back into a flow, it all comes down to faith and patience.
It is typically necessary to feel at ease in your position on the field in order to find a flow. However, since moving from Anfield in the summer, Mane hasn’t yet discovered a role that properly fits him.
In an effort to identify a successor for Lewandowski early in the season, previous manager Julian Nagelsmann, who departed Bayern on March 24, employed Mane up front.
The Poland international had been a target player for years, but Nagelsmann soon realized Mane was not one of those players.
Mane returned to the wing but failed to find his best position in Nagelsmann’s popular 3-4-2-1 formation.
As if that weren’t enough, Mane missed the World Cup in Qatar due to an inflamed head of the fibula and was out for six weeks following the start of the Bundesliga season.
Mane isn’t as confident as he once was
The former Liverpool star is reportedly more frequently used by Tuchel on the left flank of a 4-3-3 or as one of four floating forwards who attempt to crowd the center and avoid man-to-man coverage by switching positions.
Regardless of any debates regarding tactical roles, Mane’s problems appear to be more complicated.
He seems to have lost the self-assurance that previously enabled him to engage any defense in the world in a one-on-one match. Along with his ability to score goals, Mane’s ingenuity and unpredictable nature made him a unique player.
Mane has been exhibiting a disappointed appearance frequently since moving to Munich, especially since he was unable to attend the World Cup. Even some of his teammates are perplexed by the frontman’s lack of focus during practices and games.
There are several theories as to why Mane turned into a shell of his former self. But something is undoubtedly wrong, and if you read between the lines, Tuchel has admitted as much.
The new manager has also spoken of trust and patience, two qualities that may not immediately spring to mind when considering Bayern, who fired Nagelsmann as their head coach despite a 73% winning percentage.
Mane is a purported star player who is falling out of favor, and Bayern is a club in upheaval. It might be a poisonous union.
