I’ve gone back and forth on my reply. Confidence and psychological problems are the absolute worst. They can separate the world class from the forgotten. I was never going to be a name in world football, ever. I wasn’t going to be a name in state football. But confidence was my biggest enemy. I was streaky as hell, and totally tied to my mental state. It was awful. My heart goes out to him if this is the monkey on his back.
If Mane has a problem, I hope Klopp and his staff can find a way to fix it. He is an incredible talent. He has two major issues for me: this finishing problem is one and it comes and goes. As for the second, I thought for a long time that Mane is a dumb footballer. His decision making was horrific I. I genuinely think Klopp has improved his football IQ. He’s made much better choices in pass vs. shoot of late, and it’s been refreshing.
When he puts both pieces together, we’ll talk about him like he’s had Mo Salah’s last year. If not, we’ll celebrate some spot goals, thank him for his service, and think of him fondly but remotely.