Bayern Munich: Sadio Mane determined to get better
Bayern Munich and Julian Nagelsmann have responded brilliantly in the past few weeks after a below-par September. There was a lot of speculation about players and Nagelsmann since Die Roten went on a winless run of four games in the Bundesliga. It was a rare occurrence for Bayern to be poor for such a long period, so the criticism of players and Nagelsmann was intense.
Sadio Mane was also on the receiving end of heavy criticism since he struggled during September. After enjoying a good start to the season, the Senegalese forward couldn’t find the net during Bayern’s winless run in the league. Hasan Salihamidzic urged fans to be patient with him since he was adapting to a new team and league.
Mane got the much-needed goal for Senegal during the first international break. He has not looked back since scoring for Senegal. The 30-year-old forward started scoring consistently for Die Roten in the past four weeks. He has managed to find the back of the net six times in the last nine games for Bayern.
The former Liverpool forward was on the scoresheet against Mainz on Saturday. Despite scoring at a healthy rate, Mane is not satisfied with his performances for Die Roten in October. While talking to Kicker on Saturday, Sadio Mane insisted that there is still enough room for improvement despite scoring goals regularly for Rekordmeister.
"“I’m here for the team, trying to score goals, provide assists and win games for the team. But I can always get better in everything. I can show more and more. I’m someone who wants to learn every day. I think I can still improve a lot – offensively, defensively.”"
Sadio Mane has been a creative force for Bayern after moving to the left flank in recent weeks. He has been creating chances at a consistent rate. The Senegalese grabbed two assists on Saturday against Mainz. It does look like he is slowly getting on the same wavelength as other forwards in the squad.
The 30-year-old forward insisted that playing on the left flank comes naturally to him since he has played in this role for most of his career. However, he is open to playing any attacking role for the team. Mane can lead the attack and do a competent job on the right side of the attack.
Julian Nagelsmann started Mane as the central striker at the start of the season. He excelled in this position for Liverpool during the second half of last season. However, recent games have clearly shown that Mane’s best position remains on the left flank. Nagelsmann is likely to stick with him in the same position since Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is doing a fine job in the number nine role.
Next. Key takeaways from 6-2 win against Mainz. dark
Want your voice heard? Join the Bayern Strikes team!
Apart from being a quality forward, Mane’s mentality and drive to get even better bodes very well for Bayern. He is not content with his performances despite scoring 11 goals for Bayern across all competitions by the start of November. Mane’s desire to be the best will surely have a positive impact on the dressing room. The Senegalese forward will be looking to add more to his goal tally on Tuesday when Inter Milan visits Allianz Arena. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)