Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has urged winger Sadio Mane not to lose his composure when opponents target him. In recent matches, against Atletico Madrid and Arsenal Senegalese was being provoked.
Thus, the Liverpool manager was forced to bring Mane off against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League clash when Diego Simeone’s men tried to get him sent off.
Similarly, last weekend Arsenal tried the same tactics which led to a squabble between both the managers in the dugout.
The German has sensed Mane is often bullied by the opponents, who is in decent form this season scoring 9 goals in 17 games in all competitions so far.
Therefore, Jurgen Klopp urges forward Sadio Mane to “pay them back” with the quality of his football when opponents try to wind him up.
Speaking to British Media on Friday Klopp said:
Even when it was not obvious to the outside, you can see it in games that they go for him because they want to wind him up.
But it is two different things; one is to make Sadio really aggressive during the game, we saw that against Flamengo in the [2019] Club World Cup final.
Rafinha wanted to go for him after he caused them some problems when we played Bayern [Munich] in the Champions League [in 2019]. It was obvious from the first second when he went in really hard.
Klopp also added:
But Sadio is now of an age where he is not that emotional anymore. But we all need emotions obviously and sometimes we control them better and sometimes less.
We’ve had these talks … The headline [from our discussions] is: We pay back with football. Whatever we do, we pay them back with football.
What’s coming up next for Liverpool
Liverpool will face Southampton this weekend at Anfield for the Premier League clash. With Christmas approaching, next month we will see matches come thick and fast. It will be intriguing to see how Klopp’s men deal with it.
Some important games coming up in December starting with The Big Merseyside Derby Thursday next week. Meanwhile, a reunion with the club legend Steven Gerrard awaits on 11th December.
