It says a great deal about the quality of Sadio Mane that a multiplicity of pundits were absolutely convinced the Senegalese’s exit from Liverpool was mainly responsible for the side’s poor opening form.
Trent Alexander-Arnold went on to admit that his injury-enforced absence from the Lions of Teranga would represent a significant advantage for England ahead of their Round of 16 clash, admitting it was ‘not a nice feeling’ to face his old teammate in training during his Merseyside days.
“Someone who’s a world-class player and as bad as it sounds, it probably helps us that we’re not playing against him. That’s the level of player (he is),” the No.66 told talkSPORT.
“I only say that out of pure respect because I’ve played against him in training and it’s not a nice feeling. He’s one of, if not, the best left-winger in the world in my opinion.
“I was gutted, absolutely gutted that he had to miss out on this tournament.”
Advantage or no, there can be no doubt that the World Cup is significantly worse off without the likes of our former No.10, Mo Salah and Bobby Firmino in Doha.
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It’s obvious for all to now see the myriad reasons behind our struggles following on from what was a stunning 2021/22 campaign.
Injuries, possible mental and physical fatigue, a drop-off in performance levels across the park are a but a few of the root causes behind our on-and-off start to the season.
Fortunately, the man we brought in to bolster the forward line has since hit the ground running (even if Uruguay’s results are yet to reflect that reality), highlighting that our forward department is far from being the main concern.
EOTK Insider: 🏆 Liverpool’s Two World Cup Winners and 14 Finalists, ahead of Qatar 🔴