Jürgen Klopp believes that Sadio Mané is overthinking a lull in form that has brought him only three Premier League goals since October.
Liverpool will today face Aston Villa seeking to atone for their 7-2 defeat earlier in the season, with Mané’s form an added issue during a pivotal period in which they must also overturn a 3-1 Champions League deficit against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
The Senegal striker has scored 12 goals this season in all competitions, but Klopp recognised his recent struggles and must decide whether to hand him a break against Dean Smith’s side.
“We all know how good Sadio Mané is, what a player he is and what he did for us,” the Liverpool manager said. “But obviously the numbers, scoring-wise, are not great at the moment and he knows that.
“For a player with the mindset of Sadio, he wants to do extremely well. But this is the situation he is in. Each striker in the world knows these kind of situations.
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“I’m not concerned but I see it as well [that his form is not the best]. It’s clear. We work on it. It’s the only answer I can give.
“The schedule over the last three years was a tough one for a lot of players in world football. For him, as well, but I don’t think that’s the reason.
“There is no physical problem for Sadio. It’s just the situation. If you don’t score for a while, then strikers start thinking. There is a moment when you start thinking exactly the right things again and then it will be fine again. We have to make sure this time is not too far away.”
Liverpool’s pursuit of a top-four place will be put to the test by Villa, who inflicted the heaviest defeat of Klopp’s managerial career in October’s reverse fixture. Asked if he would show clips of that mauling to his squad again, Klopp replied: “Definitely not.”
Having failed to win a home game since December 16, when a last-minute Roberto Firmino goal sealed a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool must now secure two wins at Anfield inside five days in order to retain optimism that a difficult season can glean some reward.
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“One of the main reasons is that there is no crowd in — there is no doubt about that — but that is a problem for a lot of teams,” Klopp added, of his team’s struggles. “And apart from that, the reason we didn’t win home games is that we didn’t play well enough, not in all of them anyway. So, yes, we have to change that. We have to [approach the games] in the right mindset.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool would have to pay RB Leipzig in full for Ibrahima Konaté rather than in instalments should they try to sign the 21-year-old this summer. The centre back, who has a release clause in the region of £34 million, is on a shortlist of options to bolster their defence.
