It says a lot about the quality of Sadio Mane that a multitude of pundits were absolutely convinced that the Senegalese’s departure from Liverpool was primarily responsible for the team’s initial poor form.
Trent Alexander-Arnold admitted 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 former team-mate in the training. during his days in Merseyside.
“Someone who is a world-class player and as bad as it sounds, it probably helps us that we’re not playing against him. That is the level of player (which he is),” the No.66 told talkSPORT.
“I only say it out of pure respect because I have played against him in training and it is not a pleasant feeling. In my opinion, he is one of the best leftists in the world, if not the best.
“He was heartbroken, absolutely heartbroken that he had to miss this tournament.”
Advantage or not, there can be no doubt that the World Cup is significantly worse off without the likes of our former number 10 Mo Salah and Bobby Firmino in Doha.
READ MORE: Liverpool ‘monster’ finally kicks off World Cup opener today
It’s obvious to all now to see the myriad reasons behind our struggles after what was an impressive 2021/22 campaign.
Injuries, possible mental and physical fatigue, the drop in performance levels across the park are just a few of the main causes behind our intermittent start to the season.
Fortunately, the man we brought in to bolster the forward line has since been on the move (even if the Uruguay results still don’t reflect that reality), highlighting that our attacking department is far from the main concern.
EOTK Insider: ???? Liverpool’s two World Cup winners and final 14, ahead of Qatar ????
