In recent games Southampton have shown themselves as a completely different side from that which started the 2015-16 season and one of the players leading this resurgence is Sadio Mané.
Joining the side from Austrian Club Red Bull Salzburg in September 2014 on a four-year deal, Mané has since been regular in Ronald Koeman’s starting XI. The Senegalese man adjusted well to life in the Premier League and had a solid first season by bagging himself 10 goals, including the fastest hat-trick in PL history, and played all but a handful of the Saints’ outings.
During the offseason he saw a lot of attention from other English clubs, the strongest coming from Manchester United, whom had already secured a transfer for another of Southampton’s stars in Morgan Schneiderlin. Southampton held strong despite rumours of Mané expressing a desire to make the move, ultimately the window slamming shut with the winger still a Saint. Rumors have arisen recently that should United try again to secure the transfer, they will have to double a reportedly £20 million fee that was turned down over the summer.
This season the winger was a bit slower to start and the bursts of pace and slippery dribbling just did not seem to be as effective as they were the previous time around. Mané found it difficult to get outside his marker with his space very limited out wide and when he tried to carry the ball central, the opposition midfielders were ready to come in and block his channels before he had the chance to build any momentum. In a few games he was started in a central position in behind Graziano Pellè, but struggled to find those pockets of space in between the lines to receive the ball and run at defences.
But, like many in his team, he burst into life after the Saints bombed out of the Europa League qualifiers. Getting a pair of assists in the game against Norwich, which his side won 3-0, a revitalised Mané has been a constant threat in the Southampton side and has on many occasions looked to open up an opponent’s defence with quick counter-attacking play.
In the past few games the 23-year-old has been granted a lot of freedom in his positioning, starting wide then switching into the middle and then back again all throughout the match. Moving centrally he tries to find space and exploit the lack of pace in the opposition midfield, then he drifts back out wide and tries to exploit the space left in-behind the fullbacks as they push forward. This movement and circulation of positions between him and the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Dusan Tadić, Steven Davis and Pelle makes it very difficult for defenders to track and focus on just one player, having rather to divide their attention and focus on all at once. Overloading the defenders can easily lead to mistakes and players left unmarked.
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Mané alone has not been the catalyst for Southampton returning to form in the EPL, with many of his teammates equally making important contributions to the club’s ascendance. Pellè has been immense and Tadić has undoubtedly had one of the most lethally accurate delivery from out wide in the league in recent times. It is the combination of all of the St. Mary’s attackers that has seen them return to looking such a dangerous unit in the front-third.
A Mané that is high on confidence is an invaluable asset to Ronald Koeman, his contribution of goals and assists make him one of the more effective in the league. Still at only 23-years-old and with a season and a half in the English top-flight under his belt, already it would be hard to argue his potential to become a real force in the Premier League.
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